


Serena’s New Life

by Bi_and_proud_as_fuck



Series: Ivory Eyes [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Abuse, Aged-Up Character(s), Black Character(s), Bruising, Captured, Class Differences, Cultural Differences, Domestic Violence, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Forced, Forced Bonding, Forced Marriage, Forced Relationship, Jungle, Master/Slave, Mental Anguish, Obedient, Original Pokemon Region, Ownership, Pampering, Past Abuse, Pokemon, Pokemon Battles, Punching, Racial Differences, Racism, Racist Language, Rape, Rape/Non-con Elements, Relationship Problems, Royalty, Serious, Sex, Sexism, Sexual Abuse, Sexual Content, Shamanism, Slavery, Smut, Stockholm Syndrome, Strangulation, Submission, Submissive Character, Submissive Obedience, Suicidal Thoughts, Tattoos, This was meant to be a sexual story kinda but it gets very serious eventually, Tribal, Tribal Conflict, Tribe - Freeform, Violence, White Character(s), Young, enslavement, mentions of human sacrifice, mentions of past death, owned, slave wife
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-16 18:34:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 22
Words: 104,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28835664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bi_and_proud_as_fuck/pseuds/Bi_and_proud_as_fuck
Summary: Serena is all alone, her holiday ruined by a sudden breakup with her boyfriend Satoshi.Needing to clear her thoughts, she leaves her hotel, taking a small walk into the jungle to help think things over.Little does she know, her life will never be the same again... Things are about to change in ways she could never imagine, in both her wildest dreams and her worst nightmares...(WARNING: This work includes dark themes such as Racism, Slavery, mentions of Suicide, and other dark subjects. Please do not read if stuff of this nature makes you uncomfortable.)
Relationships: Dominant Black Character(s)/ Submissive White Character(s), Iris/Serena (Pokemon), Satoshi | Ash Ketchum/Serena
Series: Ivory Eyes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2114334
Comments: 29
Kudos: 27





	1. How it All Began (And How it All Ended)

_Satoshi, how could you have done this? I thought you loved me... ___

____

____

Serena lay sobbing on her hotel bed, the soft glow of the lamp the only comforting light around the poor woman... The pale beaming of the moon was never of comfort to her, she found it almost ominous in the way it melted into the world below.

Clutching her bedcovers like a frightened child, she sniffled, composing herself for a moment as she picked up her makeup bag, fumbling around for a mirror, too worn out to get up and head to her bathroom...

She soon located it, buried in a sea of lipstick and eyeshadow... Pulling it out, she flipped it open, staring at the gaunt apparition that met her gaze, a miserable, pathetic girl, with large black streaks streaming from her tear soaked eyes...

_I look like a mess... No wonder Satoshi left me... ___

____

____

Her throat felt like sandpaper, her body ached, her head throbbed... It was as if she was ill... But it was clear to her (and indeed it would be to many) why she felt this way...

Satoshi had been her rock, her crutches... Whenever something had deeply upset her, and she’d ended up in such a sorry state, Satoshi was there to care for her... He’d get anything she needed, do anything she’d say, and Serena had gotten used to the mountain of support he’d placed her atop...

But Satoshi wasn’t there anymore... and that was why she felt so drained right now... She had no existence without him, he _was _her life... And now she’s in a foreign country, all alone, with no plan and no ambitions...__

____

____

********

********

She would be heading back to Kalos, back to Lumiose City, that much was certain... But she had no plans after that... What could she do? Go back to the flat? No, Satoshi might be there, unless he goes back to Kanto... He’d been living with her for so long though, in fact, he paid the rent for the flat... Technically, it was _his _flat... She’d have to go back to her mother’s... Will she be disappointed in her, for losing him?__

____

____

********

********

All these questions and more ran through Serena’s mind, as did all the possible scenarios... Maybe Satoshi will kill himself, just to make her more upset, make her feel more guilty... 

Maybe he’ll trash their flat, take anything valuable of hers and just leave her to clean it up when she gets back...

Maybe he’ll go out to the clubs, use that fucking Pikachu to pick up some skank, take her back to the apartment and-

Serena’s thoughts halted as she welled up again, staring up at the ceiling, up at nothing, just staring and trying not to break into tears again... She can do this... She is her own woman... She does not need support...

She laid there for what seemed like hours, although it was probably minutes... Time didn’t matter to her anymore... She just wanted to lay here forever... She didn’t want to get up ever again...

Thirst was what finally convinced her to get out of the bed, to stretch her aching legs... As upset as she was, she was still human, and she needed water...

Slowly, the girl sat up, turning herself around until she had her feet on the floor, her legs shaking...

Dizzily, she got to her feet, the whole world shaking around her, she must’ve been laying there for a while...

Ignoring the ever increasing pounding in her head, she staggered over to the fridge, grabbing the handle and wrenching it open, staring at its contents...

Two single bottles of lemonade, a half empty bottle of red wine, and a pack of water bottles, four of the six already drunk...

Serena ripped one of them from the plastic casing, cracking open the lid and downing it unceremoniously, she was so fucking thirsty...

Doing the same with the other bottle, she threw both empty bottles towards the bin, both of them missing it and laying on the floor nearby... 

Wiping her mouth with her sleeve, she gazed into the fridge once more, only just noticing the missing bottle of rum... Satoshi must have taken it when he left... Bastard...

Serena stared almost forlornly at the bottle of wine, she recognised it from home, it must’ve been exported out here too... She hadn’t noticed when Satoshi was here... She only noticed him...

For a moment, her hand reached for the familiar bottle, knowing all she had to do was gulp the stuff, and the pain would stop...

But she hesitated, lowering her hand once more... She had a flight tomorrow, and a three hour journey from the hotel... She would drink when she got back to Kalos, back to her home...

Getting back to her feet once more, Serena looked over at her Pokeballs, wondering how her Pokemon will react when she gives them the bad news... They loved Satoshi and his Pokemon... It’ll break their hearts even more than it’s breaking hers...

Serena turned away, sitting back down on her bed and wondering wether she should try to sleep... It was a stupid idea right now... She was too upset... She needed to think things out...

Weighing her options, she decided only one thing will be of benefit to her right now... Some fresh air... Some alone time, away from this room...

*********************************************

Serena was careful to slowly shut the door to her room... She crept down the stairs, putting on a smile to greet one of the cleaning staff, hoping they won’t notice how upset she’s been... She’d washed her face already before leaving, that should be enough...

She was dressed in her usual outfit, knowing how chilly the night can be in such a hot part of the world... She was taking no chances...

Her Pokemon were not with her, left in her hotel room... It was not worth hauling those balls around right now... They’ll be safe there, she was sure to lock the door...

Walking outside her hotel, she stared out at the surrounding jungle, putting her hands on the railings around the main entrance, standing there for a moment...

Then, carefully, she made her way down the steps, strolling tiredly over to the treeline...

She’d just venture out a little, just to get away from it all.. Then she’ll head right back inside... It was freezing out here after all...

She broke through the trees without issue, the branches barely touching her.. Standing herself on a secure bit of earth, she gazed out at an almost endless sight of steep, green covered hills, stretching for miles and miles, the trees seeming like grass from such a distance...

This is why she had come here, for views like this... It was so different to Kalos... Sure, there were forests there, but they never seemed so vast, so massive in scale... 

Part of her wished she could stay here forever, in the tranquility of the wild jungle, free from all the noise and bustle of the modern world...

But she never could, and she knew she’d have to return home... She did not belong in a place like this... Lumiose City was her true home... Sure, it was polluted, and somewhat dirty, and more than once she’d been fearful of some of the people she’d come across on late nights... But it was home for her...

Feeling the chill of a tropical night wash over her, Serena took a deep breath, getting one last look at this paradise, before getting ready to turn and leave...

But turning around, her foot refused to follow, something keeping it firmly in place... Serena crouched down to look, seeing the issue... It was a small vine, her foot caught under it, she can fix this...

Grabbing at the slippery plant with her fingers, she tugged hard, the vine starting to snap...

When it finally did, however, Serena found herself tumbling backwards, landing on the ground with a thud... Her clothes were wet and ruined now... But it could be worse...

What could be worse suddenly became worse, as Serena soon found her attempts to get back up difficult... She would constantly slip back down to the ground before she could gain her footing, leaving her in the dirt...

Straining herself, she finally managed to lift herself up somewhat, this is it, she’s gonna be alright...

But then, all of a sudden, she felt herself slide forwards, her legs disappearing as they plunged over the lip of the earth, sending her crashing onto the hill below...

*********************************************

Serena screamed as she tumbled down the steep hill, bushes and branches slapping her as she slid far from where she came...

The ledge, where only moments before she had been safely sat, quickly disappeared from view, as did the top of the hill, Serena stuck on a painful journey to the bottom...

Eventually, after much rolling, the now bruised teen reached her destination, skidding painfully across the hard ground as the hill flattened out, finally letting her come to a stop...

Coughing, the wind almost knocked from her, Serena groaned, the ordeal leaving her dazed, the poor girl in shock... It would take many hours to reach her hotel again, the hill was large and tall, she was at least a mile or more away now...

It took a while, but the Kalos teen managed to get her bearings once more... Sitting up weakly, Serena winced, her sides hurting from the many blows they had received... They were no doubt bruised, but thankfully, she had appeared to avoid any major injuries...

Finding herself unable to stand in her condition, Serena began to cry once more, burying her head behind her knees, trying to ignore how filthy she’d become...

She lay down, resting in an almost fetal like position, trying to come to terms with what was happening... First it was Satoshi, then she went and did this... She was stupid, so stupid!

Serena slapped the ground like a kid having a tantrum, angry at herself for her carelessness... She could be back in her hotel room right now, resting in her bed, safe and secure... But instead, she was lying in the dirt, sobbing like a child, miles from her possessions...

Breaking down into tears once again, the desperate teen cried out loudly, hoping against all odds that somebody might be nearby in this endless, wild place...

Serena would soon find out she was in luck, somebody would hear those cries, somebody would come for her...

But she would have never imagined the events that were about to take place, the things that would, with time, not only change her life, but change her forever...


	2. The Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lost and alone in the jungle, Serena is distraught... She needs help, for somebody to come to her rescue, for literally anybody to find her...
> 
> The only thing she hasn’t worried about is wether or not that certain somebody happens to be friend or foe...

This holiday was meant to be magical... Her and Satoshi, out on a beautiful tropical getaway, deep in the heart of the jungle... Blue skies, golden sun and fresh, natural air...

Black skies, a dim moon and moist, chilly air was certainly not in their plans. Neither were bruises, sadness and, most notably, loneliness...

That was what greeted Serena now, utter loneliness... She had already been lonely at the hotel, after Satoshi left...

But she had her Pokemon there, she had the staff, the other guests... Even if she couldn’t go to them with her problems, they were there... Even if she felt alone, in truth, Serena had been in good company...

Now, she was alone, _truly _alone... Many think loneliness is simply being by yourself, having nobody to talk to, nobody to be around...__

__That isn’t true loneliness though... True loneliness is being quite literally alone, miles from another living soul, trapped somewhere where nobody roamed... Not even the tour guides ventured this far out... She was well and truly isolated..._ _

__Serena’s cries grew in intensity as the true gravity of the situation hit her like a brick wall... Here she was, a lone woman, unsuited to both the climate and the area, lost in the wilderness, miles from any hope of rescue, with no evidence of where she disappeared to..._ _

__Dark thoughts began to run through her head at breakneck speed, imagined scenarios of what may happen to her filling her mind..._ _

__She could end up starving to death out here... Or dying of thirst... Maybe she’ll injure herself... Or get eaten by a less than friendly wild Pokemon...._ _

__She’d heard horror stories in the news, stories like this... Somebody goes missing in the wilderness... Sometimes they’re found, barely alive, but still alive... Sometimes, they’re never found at all..._ _

__And on other occasions, they are found... But at a point where it’s more than too late..._ _

__Terrified by these possibilities, Serena began to sob and heave, her eyes wide in terror... She didn’t wanna die out here, she didn’t wanna die at all!_ _

__More thoughts ran through her head, thoughts of her family, of her funeral, her mother being forced to lay her to rest at the young age of 19... Serena could barely bring herself to imagine it, yet at the same time, she couldn’t shake the thought off... It lingered even as she tried to focus on other things... It wouldn’t leave her alone..._ _

__The teen’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a noticeable rustling in the nearby bushes... Her heart beating fast, Serena shut her eyes tight, huddling into a ball, knowing whatever was making that noise would likely be her end..._ _

__She waited for death, for whatever horror that lay within the greenery to leap out and finish her off..._ _

__But nothing happened.... Serena almost wondered if she was already dead... Maybe it happened without her feeling a thing, maybe this was the afterlife..._ _

__The icy cold breeze and the wet, earthy smell in the air made it clear that no, her ordeal was not over..._ _

__With her heart pounding out of her chest, and her body shaking, Serena hesitantly takes the tiniest peek, one of her eyes raising the lid, just enough to see what foul creature awaits her, what threat this city girl will have to face..._ _

__With her tears blurring her vision, Serena has no choice... It’s now or never.... Taking a deep, stuttered breath, she counts to three in her head, before quickly springing her eyes wide open!_ _

__But there was no monster to face, no terrifying creature to face off..._ _

__There was nothing, nothing but the bushes and trees, her still, silent companions in this lonely place..._ _

__Serena breathed a sigh of relief, her fears alleviating somewhat... Perhaps she was being paranoid about all this... After all, she knew roughly where the hotel would be, and the guides did travel out during the day..._ _

__All she had to do was get further up that hill... If she could do that, then she stood a better chance of escape..._ _

__Awkwardly, Serena got to her feet, standing up straight and turning around to begin the difficult journey back..._ _

__But instead of a view of the hill, of the trees and the bushes, she received another sight entirely..._ _

__In front of her, silent and stern, stood a tall, dark man, silhouetted chillingly against the pale moon light...._ _

__*********************************************_ _

__Normally, Serena would be thrilled at this moment... Her prayers had been answered, somebody had found her... She would not have to fear the jungle tonight..._ _

__But this was different... This was no ordinary meeting... Whoever this was, he was making no efforts to appear friendly or comforting... He was just standing there, still... How long he had been there was completely unknown... It could have been when the rustling started... Maybe even earlier..._ _

__He must have been watching her, waiting for his moment... And Serena got the feeling that, given he had not announced his presence, nor offered any greeting, this was not the helpful hero she had been hoping for..._ _

__Both of them stood there for what seemed like an eternity... She said nothing... He said nothing..._ _

__Serena wanted to say something... Initially, she wanted to scream, but found herself completely paralysed by fear...._ _

__She still felt like she was gonna scream, but part of her wanted to speak to him, her mind not sure what to do in this situation... Should she say hello? Should she be cautious, try to show she isn’t a threat?_ _

__Before she could come to a conclusion, her eyes came to rest on something decidedly less friendly than she hoped..._ _

__Serena had been hoping for her rescuer to have food, water, and things to help her get back to safety...._ _

__It is for those reasons and more, that the sight of a long sharp spear had made her all the more worried... It certainly showed her that, whoever this was, he wasn’t one of the tour guides..._ _

__Their silent standoff continued endlessly, Serena’s heart beating faster by the second..._ _

__And then, slowly, the man raised his foot, taking one small, slow step forward..._ _

__*********************************************_ _

__An ear piercing scream erupted from Serena as she stumbled back in terror, acting as if an immobile statue had suddenly gained life, and was coming right for her!_ _

__Her stumbling was halted as she slammed into a firm, muscled chest, two arms wrapping around to secure her, holding her painfully tight, like an unloving hug..._ _

__Her fight or flight response was telling her to run, to flee, these are strangers, they may hurt you, you must go!_ _

__But try as she might, the man held her firmly to him, her struggles doing little to loosen his grip..._ _

__Her legs kicked at the ground as she was held there, her face one of overwhelming fear, her voice crying out in a desperate, pitiful scream..._ _

__And then, just as suddenly as it began, the screaming stopped..._ _

__Serena stared in terror at the first man as he held his hand over her mouth, silencing her cries... They could do anything to her now... And despite everything that was happening, she prayed they had good intentions..._ _

__*********************************************_ _

__The man’s arms tightened somewhat, squeezing Serena uncomfortably, as the other stood opposite her, his hand still keeping her mute..._ _

__He wasn’t keeping his same still position this time though... He seemed to be staring at Serena, studying her, as if she were some artefact he had just discovered, a new possession in his grasp...._ _

__Serena visibly jumped when he suddenly spoke, conversing with the man holding her in a language she had never heard before, not even from the staff at her hotel..._ _

__His voice was deep, his pronunciation strong, her heart thudding harder with every syllable... It seemed to pierce through the serenity of the night, out of place with the chirps and hums of nighttime Pokemon, a human voice where one should not be..._ _

__The two men appeared to reach a decision, as the already bruised teen was roughly handled, the man letting her go for a moment before tugging her back, both of them laughing when Serena winced in pain, her bruises agitated..._ _

__Distracted by this, they had little trouble with their next course of action... Thrusting both arms behind her back, the first man produced a length of rope from his loincloth, the other taking it as he began to bind Serena’s wrists, wrapping the rope around them with little regard for her wellbeing..._ _

__This sudden change shocked the poor girl, and she soon found herself tugging back against him, her instincts once more telling her to flee..._ _

__“ **NO!!! STOP!!! PLEASE!!! I-** ”_ _

__Serena’s loud begging was once more halted, but not by a hand this time... Instead, a thick wooden stick gag was roughly shoved between her teeth, with leather straps that ensured it would not be discarded anytime soon..._ _

__With the other man immobilising her arms, Serena was torn, she couldn’t focus on fighting both of them!_ _

__The teen made an attempt to halt the man in front on her, throwing her head to the side to try and throw her gag off, but this was met with a rough slap to the cheek as the man grabbed her head, turning it back to face him, and promptly tightening those leather straps until they dug into her soft pale skin...._ _

__With her mouth now fully silenced, and her wrists fully secured, Serena had lost her battle... Even if she tried to struggle now, it would be pointless..._ _

__So with no other options, Serena did the only thing she could do..._ _

__She began to sob once more, a sprinkling of tears washing over her gag, the girl unable to cope with being in such a position...._ _

__It would be almost be embarrassing were it not for the fact that she hadn’t done this to herself... She had no part in this..._ _

__It was her captors... These men, whoever they were, were evil... Serena couldn’t even begin to think of what was gonna happen to her... She only knew it could not be good..._ _

__For a moment, she forced herself to stare up at the man opposite her, trying to elicit any emotion from him, any semblance of compassion..._ _

__Only to be met by another rough slap, the staring seemingly displeasing him, acting as if she was the one being unreasonable right now..._ _

__Tired, wet, and scared, Serena almost dropped to her knees in vain, stopped only by the man behind her as he held her steady, manipulating the girl and forcing her to remain standing..._ _

__Very suddenly, the situation changed drastically, as Serena noticed the man in front pull something from his loincloth, a sharp hunting knife!_ _

__The now terrified teen began screaming from behind her gag, throwing her head back and forth, knowing he could gut her like a pig with a blade like that!_ _

__He held it in his palm, moving it towards her bosom, ready to put his weapon to very good use..._ _

__But he didn’t get the chance... The man holding Serena shouted a rough warning to his comrade, shaking his head, letting him know he shouldn’t do this..._ _

__The teen continued her screams for a while, but as soon as she saw the blade disappear once more into the safety of his clothing, the muffled screams died down, replaced instead by small, subdued sniffles, her energy becoming somewhat depleted..._ _

__Satisfied that their captive will not be as much trouble anymore, Serena was turned around to face the forest once again, a rough hand holding her bound wrists, keeping a grip on her as they forced the girl to take a few steps forward, starting their journey to god knows where...._ _

__*********************************************_ _

__Serena walked with the men silently and solemnly, her blue eyes puffy from her tears, her cheeks pale from the freezing cold night air..._ _

__They were leading her slowly, careful not to rush their captive in their journey... She was not used to this terrain, and she was also partly immobilised... Were she to fall, she might get hurt..._ _

__Serena wanted to speak to these men, to ask them questions, to know why they were doing this to her.... She had not threatened them, or given them any reason to provoke her, she had been standing there, clearly in distress, yet they chose to capture her rather than comfort her..._ _

__Serena’s line of thought was interrupted as the rope around her wrists rubbed the skin, making her wince and falter, the girl nearly tumbling to the ground!_ _

__Hoisted back up roughly (and eliciting another wince), she received yet another slap to the face, a stark reminder that her captors can’t afford to have her stopping, they must continue...._ _

__With her eyes welling up, but too tired to cry, Serena shakily placed her foot in front of her, pushing her body to continue, despite the pain, despite the exhaustion..._ _

__A while passed, the three of them travelling further, and Serena could tell that her legs would not hold out much longer..._ _

__Attempting to warn the men of this, she tried to speak to them, despite the thick wood blocking her lips..._ _

__“Mmmmppph.... mmmmpppphh.... Mmmmphh!”_ _

__A quick punch to the gut quickly showed Serena that these men did not want to listen to her words... They seemed to treat her like an inconvenient commodity, something both prized, yet also a burden... It was as if they hated her, yet valued her at the same time..._ _

__Seeing no way of communicating to them, and holding out for as long as she could, Serena gave in, her legs crumbling beneath her, going limp as she hurtled towards the ground..._ _

__She was lucky not to hit her head on some of the rocks littering the forest floor... It was a good thing these men were strong, they were able to catch her in her fall, just in time..._ _

__Kneeling her on the ground, and finding he could not make her stand, the first man grew angry... He roughly slapped her face back and forth, poor Serena trying to beg through her gag again, to let him know what was wrong..._ _

__But this only made him more enraged, and he grabbed a length of her long hair, hoisting her up by it, her legs kicking at the dirt beneath her, weak, muffled screams showing the men just how painful this must be..._ _

__And it was... Serena felt as if her hair would be ripped straight from her scalp, which was why she tried so hard to stand again..._ _

__Momentarily, she gained a footing, her legs wobbling about, her muscles exhausted..._ _

__She failed to take even one more step as she lost all purchase on the ground below, a hoarse scream ringing out as her hair was once more forced to bear her weight..._ _

__Mumbling annoyedly, the man grabbed Serena, lifting her up into his arms... This girl was becoming such an inconvenience to them.... But she’d be worth the trouble in the end..._ _

__Serena ceased her screams, breathing heavily until her heart started to settle again, her aching legs were finally able to rest now..._ _

__With her energy levels bottoming out, and her body battered and bruised, Serena wanted to collapse into sleep... The men were carrying her now after all... And whilst she did not trust them, her body was telling her it needed rest, it needed it now... It was taking all her will to ignore that need, her worries were far more important now..._ _

__The men carried their prize a good while longer, tucked up safely in the man’s arms..._ _

__Serena hated to admit it, but, it felt good to be in the arms of a man again, even one so violent as this.... He could have easily left her where she dropped, she would have never been able to get back to her hotel at such a distance, and in such a poor condition..._ _

__Yet they deal with her still, and Serena did not know why... She tried to ignore some of the more dark theories brimming at the back of her mind... Serena was too tired to go through them anyway..._ _

__As her mind began to fizzle out, her fight to stay awake becoming all the more difficult, Serena saw something not too far from them..._ _

__Close by, just underneath some of the trees, the flickering glow of a fire illuminated the dark jungle, shadows being cast by peoples unknown, the faint sound of chatting and laughing being carried over the wind..._ _

__Serena groaned a little as she saw this, a look of despair coming over her eyes..._ _

__The teen’s ordeal was clearly not over yet... And it would not be for a long, long time..._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was rewritten to better fit the rest of the story.


	3. By The Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tired, bruised, and restrained, Serena could only imagine what would await her when she reached the fire, when she reached the other men...
> 
> One thing was certain though... Whatever company she was about to encounter, she doubted it would be any friendlier than before...

Her vision beginning to blur, Serena watched as her captors carried her closer to where the fire was, the sounds of laughter becoming louder, clearer, words in that unfamiliar language starting to become intelligible...

Within minutes, they had arrived. More dark men came forward to greet them, crowding around the immobilised Serena, treating her like a pretty object to be gawked at.

She groaned, her eyes staring into theirs, finding no warmth or comfort in any of them...

Instead, Serena was laid down on the dirt beside the fire, small twigs and leaves becoming tangled in her well groomed hair.

Groaning in discomfort, Serena shifted about a little, trying to lay comfortably, only to be met with that familiar knife, pressed up against her neck!

Blue eyes widening, Serena went limp, a quick, tiny shake of the head the only indicator of her understanding, trying to let these men know they do not have to harm her, hoping they don’t decide to slice...

They soon moved it away from her neck, trailing it down to her top, threatening to cut through it!

“Mmmphh!!! Mmmph mmmpphhh!!!” Serena begged, fearing for her life, knowing the knife could easily cut through the top, her shirt, and her skin!

The men surrounding her began to laugh uncontrollably. The sight of this struggling, terrified girl, begging for her life, was incredibly amusing to them...

Taking it further, the man pulled the knife back, making it look like he was about to stab the poor girl!

She responded accordingly, eyes shutting, trembling, starting to cry...

The captors roared with laughter, chuckling loudly, enjoying how easy it was to tease and threaten their captive prize...

Serena peeked out at them with a fearful gaze, sniffling, wishing they’d just leave her alone, just let her sleep...

Within moments, the knife was back again, and this time they were not teasing...

Lifting her top a little to avoid harming her, the man began to cut through, severing the cloth as he cut down through it, slowly exposing the white shirt below...

“Mmmphh!!” Serena exclaimed, weakly struggling as her first item of clothing was quickly cut off, being shred and ripped away right in front of her eyes...

The men investigated the fabric for a moment, the material seeming unfamiliar, before placing it aside, the torn fabric laying messily in the dirt...

Serena had little time to react to this treatment, as within moments they had moved down to her boots, tugging at the laces, slowly untying them...

Scared at the prospect of losing her beautiful footwear, she began kicking, moving her legs wildly, doing what she could to slow the process...

She soon learnt her lesson as one of the men turned the frightened teen on her side, pulling up the hem of her skirt to better expose her bruised thigh... Serena couldn’t see what he was doing, and that terrified her...

Then, suddenly, he started to hit her, trying to punish the girl for her defiance, to show her just why she shouldn’t fight back..

Quickly getting the message, Serena went still once more, the pain caused by her bruises being hit more than enough to tame her in this moment...

The men wasted no time in removing her boots, loosening the laces and pulling them off of her stocking covered feet, placing them aside after a quick examination...

Her stockings were removed also, Serena becoming cold as they decided to treat her with such little dignity....

But things suddenly became even more serious, as the men began pulling on the hem of her skirt, others loosening the straps which held it to her body, trying to steal it from her, just like her other clothes!

“Mmmpphhh! Mmmmpphh....” Despite the usual reception towards her attempts or speak, Serena tried once more to communicate with these strange people, to stop them before they expose her most private areas...

But rather than being reprimanded, the teen found herself being humiliated... The men chuckled as she begged for them not to do this to her, giggling at the way she sniffled and sobbed as they pulled down her skirt, the girl looking away in shame as her ordeal continued...

The knife was brought once again to Serena’s chest, the scared brunette going limp as her shirt was cut through, the noise almost horrific to her ears, as if her shirt was screaming, begging her not to let them do this...

But Serena had no say in any of the events that were unfolding... She could have been fast asleep, and it would have made no difference to these evil men... To them, she was clearly just a plaything, a worthless woman to whom they could do as they please... Serena dreaded greatly what would happen once they had finally removed her last shreds of dignity...

The poor teen found that she hadn’t long to wait... With her skirt gone, her undergarments were all that remained of her beautiful outfit, the clothes that she’d bought in Lumiose City, the clothes she had loved...

She stared forlornly at her dress, crumpled and disheveled on the forest floor, treated like a mere rag, rather than the fine piece of clothing it truly was...

As they began to cut through her remaining clothes, Serena didn’t even struggle, finding it hopeless at this point... It was too late now... Serena had fought a hard battle, but it was all for nothing... She knew what these men wanted, and nothing she could do would get in their way...

Loud cheering suddenly brought her back to awareness as her bra was severed, chucked aside with her other clothes, exposing her to the eyes of her captors... Serena wished she could bury herself right now, just bury herself away...

Instinctively, Serena struggled, her bound hands wiggling as she tried in vain to loosen her bonds, wanting to cover herself, denied by a tight length of rope and the men who held her captive...

Lifted up by one of the tallest, strongest men, she was groped, grabbed by many different hands, shown with no empathy or respect...

Shrill, hoarse screams we’re all Serena could muster, her eyes shutting fearfully, her head shaking back and forth, shaking herself to try and move her away from their prying hands...

But this only made the men more eager, her hesitance eliciting more laughter from her uncaring owners, with no shred of sympathy for her...

They continued their assault, the white girl becoming more and more panicked as the ordeal went on, fear growing and growing inside her until it could not be subdued...

Mustering all the energy she could, Serena went mental, screaming at the top of her lungs, kicking her legs madly, her tied hands flailing about, putting up one last brave struggle against them...

But it wasn’t one quick punch that silenced her, or a harsh spanking.

Instead, Serena felt her throat being crushed as two massive hands wrapped around it, the strongest of the men asserting his position over her... She would learn to behave... Even if it killed her...

Choking and wheezing, Serena’s eyes stared into the man’s with a deep fear, her struggles growing more frantic as her oxygen levels began to plummet, knowing this could easily be her end...

The men had what they wanted, they wanted her body... And this man, with his intense strength and his tight, vice like grip, could probably crush her throat in seconds...

Her face turning from a pretty pale to a painful purple, Serena was quickly losing all her battles, her life beginning to flash before her eyes as the last shreds of wakefulness began to flutter out of existence...

Gently, her eyes began to shut, so tired, so weak... This was it, she would sleep now, sleep forever... No more pain, no more abuse from these men... Just rest...

Then suddenly, everything changed, the world fading back into her reality as he finally let go of her bruised neck, the teen girl coughing and spluttering as her lungs dragged in as much oxygen as they could, her body determined for her to live, despite the uncertain future she now faced...

Serena barely managed to get a few measly breaths into her body before the man confronted her, shouting at her in his language, slapping her cheek to emphasise certain points...

Crying and confused, Serena shook her head, trying to tell him she didn’t understand, she was not from his world...

This was met with more slapping, the man almost strangling her again, stopped only by the other men as they hold him back, not wanting to damage their property any more than necessary...

Instead, the now nude Serena was taken by another man, seemingly one of the kinder of the men... He sat the weak brunette on his lap, chatting to the other men as she lay against him, too weak to even sit up without his assistance...

He spoke to the others, chatting and laughing, as if she wasn’t even there, the teen little but a trinket, a pretty thing to hold and admire...

Serena was thankful at least that the men seemed to have calmed down... They did not heckle her, or touch her, save for the man who currently had her... She could do little to stop this though, and she was too tired to fight him... She’d endure this, for as long as she has to...

But she felt safer in this moment than she had since her capture, and it gave her time to ponder the situation.

Clearly, she was not considered an equal in these men’s eyes. They handled her like a doll, treating her like a disobedient child, unhappy with her uncooperative nature...

They also seemed to see a certain value in her, after all, had they been planning to kill her, they probably would have done so... 

As much as Serena hated to admit it, she knew what potential value she clearly held to them... She was nothing a source of pleasure, a piece of property they could manipulate... It would take a miracle to survive this ordeal unscathed...

Serena knew nothing of these men’s culture... Those at the hotel, even the tour guides, spoke little of the natives, since most contact with them had been both infrequent and hostile... It was for those reasons that they never ventured too far into the forest...

Knowing this information, Serena was more than concerned about her future... She hoped they simply intended to keep her as a slave, rather than having a final, potentially fatal end in mind for her...

For all she knew, they were going to sacrifice her, they might even eat her! Such worries were somewhat intensified by the cultural opinions she’d been exposed to over the years, but Serena knew not how true or not they could be...

Serena stared at the men with pure, unhidden fear, the possibilities once more running through her mind, her heart beating fast again...

Suddenly, she felt something wet touch her cheek... Turning her gaze, she saw it was the man holding her, giving her a soft peck on her face... He must’ve noticed her fearfulness...

Unsure of how to respond, Serena did nothing, sitting there with her legs clenched together tightly, feeling incredibly vulnerable in her current position, knowing her captors could do anything to her right now...

Her current captor, seeing her wariness, decided to try another tactic to calm her...

Gently, he began petting her long, bushy hair, stroking it calmly, treating Serena like some sort of pet, reinforcing her position as property rather than person...

Serena tried to fight it, but the petting was having an effect on her... Gradually, her heart rate slowed to its usual speed, her breathing becoming softer, her tiredness becoming even more apparent without the stress keeping her awake...

Weak, and on the verge of unconscious, the teen’s head lolled forward, her eyes starting to shut as her already exhausted body began to go to sleep, her limbs feeling like lead, heavy and empty of energy...

Noticing this change, the man smiled, turning to his fellow captors to let them know their new girl was about to sleep...

The men said something to her, what Serena understood as their equivalent of “goodnight”... In her barely conscious, near delirious state, Serena smiled, feeling as if she were among friends, among those she could trust, among those who cared for her...

Slowly, she was lowered to the ground, her man following suite and cuddling her to his chest as they lay there, the roaring fire keeping them warm, keeping them cosy and safe...

Serena hummed softly as she felt the icy areas of her body become warmed once more, loosening her muscles and thawing her chilled exterior...

The fire faded, and faded, until in her mind it was all but a candle wick, all that existed in her conscious reality...

And then, in a moment Serena could not pinpoint, the flame slowly extinguished... She fell into a deep sleep, calm and comfortable, the last day of her old life fading off into the distance of her dreams...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (This chapter was rewritten to better fit with the latter parts of the story.)


	4. A Slave’s Sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having endured the humiliation of the night before, Serena wakes to an uncertain tomorrow...

Sunlight streamed down through the branches as a new day arrived in the jungle, bird Pokemon heralding the arrival with beautiful songs, songs of freedom, freedom to fly throughout to air, unimpaired by any obstacles...

As Serena awoke, hearing these songs, she wished she could come with them....

The pale teen cracked open her dry eyes as sunlight began pouring through the branches above, flooding the forest with light....

Many of her captors were already awake, cooking a small wild Pokemon over the fire, the meat sizzling, the juices bubbling...

Serena felt a pang in her stomach as her body responded to this, her hunger painful, drool beginning to pour from the sides of her mouth in heavy doses... She hadn’t eaten since lunchtime the day before, she was starving....

Noticing her owner was still asleep, she tried to move her hands against him, to stimulate him into wakefulness, wincing as the ropes run against her sore wrists, deterring her from further movement...

Rather weakly, her foot rubbed his leg, his muscles solid and firm, as if she were rubbing her foot against some type of smooth wood...

“Mmmmpph.... mmphh.... mmhhhh....” Said Serena, her wooden gag soaked with saliva, the stick moist and uncomfortable....

As a strong arm came around to hug her side, Serena knew he was awake now... She struggled to lift her head, trying to turn it to face him, her light blue eyes gazing into his dark brown ones with a pleading expression...

“Mmmmh.... mmmh mmmmphhh...”

He gave a small chuckle as she tried to talk to him... She looked so pathetic right now, so undignified.... But that gag must be uncomfortable, and she will need to eat...

Serena breathed a sigh of relief as he began loosening the thick leather straps, the gag falling straight into the dirt, a cascade of drool spilling from her now open mouth...

The stick was soaked, small marks in the wood showing where she had bitten down whilst wearing it...

Serena gasped in air, finally able to breathe comfortably again, moving her stiff jaw to help loosen it, the effects of the gag leaving it quite sore...

Around her face, there were indents in her cheeks, showing where the straps had been tightly secured, the skin nearly rubbed raw....

She took a minute to compose herself, her owner helping her sit up, helping to support her, looking at her with a hint of concern...

Serena turned to speak to him, but only a few dry noises came from her parched throat... Sensing her thirst, he beckoned to one of the other men, who swiftly came over with a large leather flask, filled to the brim with water from a nearby river...

Unable to take it with her bound hands, The man held Serena secure, moving the flask to her lips and tilting it, giving the girl her first water since her capture...

He stopped momentarily, giving her time as she began to cough, the dryness of her throat hitting her hard... Rubbing her back supportively, he nodded, Serena doing the same to show she was ready...

Soon the flask was all but drunk, the last few droplets dripping into her open maw, soothing the soreness within...

He said something to her, something she could not understand, but she tried to respond as best she could...

“Th-thank you.... I needed that...” Said Serena, trying to show her gratitude towards this man, despite the obvious difference in power... He was kind enough to give her water and comfort... Even if he was holding her captive, he’d at least done that for her...

The man said something more, before lowering her slowly to the ground, knowing she was too weak to sit up...

Reassuring her he would not go far, he walked up to the fire, reaching over to the meat and snatching a chunk with his hands, the intense heat of the food seemingly causing him no discomfort...

He returned to her side, sitting her back up again, and offering her the chunk of meat...

It was greasy, very greasy, with a strong smell to it... Normally, Serena would hate food like this, preferring lighter meals...

But she was weak, and she was hungry... Just about anything would be delicious to her right now...

Forgetting her predicament, she went to take it, gritting her teeth as the ropes once more rubbed her wrists, a painful reminder...

With a reassuring tone, the man smiled, moving the meat to her mouth and slowly shoving some of it inside, feeding her by his hand, knowing it was her only option...

She gnawed hungrily, greasy flesh sliding down her throat, helping to lubricate and sooth it more... With such an intense hunger, the taste seemed heavenly to the starving girl, a delicious meal for her to enjoy...

Still feeding her, the man continued to grab more meat from the carcass, bringing it straight to her lips, making sure she had enough to fill her stomach... She was going to need it for the journey...

With her hunger satisfied, Serena shook her head when offered more meat, letting him know she was full...

The man smiled, enjoying the last of it himself whilst still leaving plenty for the others to enjoy in their own time...

Feeling slightly less apprehensive about the man now, Serena looked over at him, an empty expression on her face... She was not happy to be his... But she was also not too upset...

Wondering wether she can find some way to communicate with this man, she tried to see if he spoke any of her languages...

“Do you speak English?” Asked Serena, knowing from experience that this was extremely unlikely, but figuring it couldn’t hurt to ask...

He looked at her in confusion, rubbing her back, did she need something?

“français?” She asked once more, only trying to use one word to help make it easier...

He still seemed confused, saying something back in his foreign language... Serena gave up, clearly they were from two different worlds...

But seeing that he had treated her so kindly, she wanted to try something, if only to make things more comfortable for her...

Awkwardly, weakly, she turned herself to expose her sore wrists, the rope chaffing her skin, the area clearly uncomfortable....

“Please... C-can you take it off? Just for a little while, it really hurts...” Serena begged her captor, the tone of her voice telling him she was in pain...

To her dismay, he shook his head, answering her with a tone that suggested this was not allowed, at least not at this moment...

“Please, it really fucking hurts!” Serena begged louder, starting to well up as she realised she might have to suffer through this for longer.

Suddenly, she felt her hair being grabbed, the man pulling down on it hard, not enough to hurt her, but enough to cause some pain and discomfort...

He seemed angry, shouting a warning at her, her volume and tone was clearly something he did not approve of...

Starting to cry, Serena nodded frantically in response, just wanting him to let her go...

“Yes! Yes! I understand! I understand!” She cried, her face becoming awash with tears...

He let her go, giving her cheek another kiss, Serena leaning away from it in fear, before lowering her and walking away, off to do an errand, letting her think about what she had done...

Serena cried alone in the dirt, her mind incredibly conflicted... This man seemed so nice, so caring, yet he hurt her over nothing... Well, she thought it was nothing... Perhaps he thought she was rude, or threatening... She’d have to be more careful about how she spoke...

Soon, her tears dried up, and Serena managed to focus her mind back on what mattered... She’d have to comply with her captors, do as they say, until rescue arrives... After all, her hotel would realise she was missing, without her Pokemon, and a rescue party would be sent out immediately...

Granted, they didn’t know how far out she’d gone... In truth, _she _didn’t know how far she was... She could be anywhere right now, perhaps too far out for them to venture...__

__But what mattered now was focusing on that, focusing on the hope of being rescued... She would see to it that these men and their tribe were reprimanded for this... All except for her owner... He had been kinder than the others, he deserved a relatively lax sentencing compared to them..._ _

__Serena was under no illusions right now though, she was not in a position to call the shots... She was their captive, their slave... From this point onwards until she manages to get rescued, she officially belonged to them..._ _

__Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the other men approaching, coming back to where the fire was..._ _

__With her owner absent, and not trusting herself to be safe around them, she struggled into a seated position, turning her head to look at her captors, one half of her face decorated with sandy soil..._ _

__The men noticed she was awake, strolling causally over as poor Serena attempted to lift herself, finding she was too weak to even get up..._ _

__They reached her, grabbing at her hair playfully, laughing as she began to crawl along the ground with only her legs to assist her, making her roll about in circles as she tried to get away..._ _

__They taunted her, pulling out their knives and pretending to attack her, the sight of the blades eliciting screams from the pale teen..._ _

__Getting bored with their captive’s actions, one of them took the opportunity to pin her to the floor, stepping onto her back with his foot!_ _

__Serena let out a gasp as she felt herself become stuck to the floor, groaning as she put all her energy into trying to lift herself again, huffing as she eventually gave in, laying there pathetically..._ _

__They began to play with the girl, the man taking his foot off and letting her crawl a couple of feet, before grabbing her ankle and roughly yanking her back to them, doing this repeatedly until Serena stopped trying to crawl, knowing they already had her..._ _

__Showing no regard for the teen’s bruised body, one of the men sat on top of her, using her soft ass as an arm rest, his entire weight being forced into her back, her spine beginning to hurt..._ _

__Groaning in pain, Serena could do nothing but lay there, being treated like furniture, as the two men began to converse, chatting casually as she lay underneath one of them..._ _

__Both men soon grew bored of tormenting their captive, deciding instead to have a much different mind of fun..._ _

__Serena breathed in deeply as she felt the weight on her back finally disappear, thinking the men were finally finished with her, she could rest..._ _

__This thought was interrupted by pain as one of the men grabbed her wrists, dragging her along the ground, dirt rubbing itself into her skin as he began to pull her off, away from the prying eyes of the others, ready and willing to do some wicked things to her..._ _

__The other man kept a lookout, making sure the other men could not watch them doing this... Seeing this, Serena grew only more concerned, realising that what they planned to do went against even what their comrades allowed..._ _

__Both men glared at the white girl as she suddenly began kicking and screaming, the sound travelling throughout the nearby forest, her frantic screams echoing out..._ _

__The first man shoved his hand over her mouth, silencing her, but it was too late, the others knew, and they were on their way..._ _

__The other men returned, including the one who had cared for her, a look of anger directed towards his traitorous friends..._ _

__The man holding Serena suddenly snapped, grabbing her by her chest and yanking her up, holding her to him as he produced a knife from his loincloth, pressing it tightly against her pale throat, threatening to slice once and end her!_ _

__The other men started to argue with the two rogue captors, seemingly trying to convince them not to go ahead with whatever plan they had in mind, to release Serena back to the whole group, their collective property..._ _

__The arguing back and forth went on for a while, both sides threatening violence, Serena spending the whole ordeal uncomfortably choked by her captor’s blade, using every fibre of her body to keep herself still... One wrong turn of the head, and she’d be done..._ _

__Eventually, tensions died down, the standoff ending after much discussion between her owners... The man took away his knife, releasing his hold and letting her drop straight to the ground below, the poor girl unable to stop her fall..._ _

__Hitting the dirt with a thud, Serena groaned, laying there until her more caring owner was able to get to her, checking her over for damages, seemingly more concerned for her physical wellbeing than her mental one, not once checking that she herself was ok..._ _

__The two men who had defied the others watched from a distance, their loyalty to the group now undoubtedly weak... Serena hoped they would be banished, or at the very least, she would not be left alone again..._ _

__To her shock and surprise, her kindest owner welcomed both men back with open arms, hugging them each, both of them forgiven despite the serious incident that had just occurred..._ _

__Serena couldn’t understand it... They had threatened to kill her, to drag her away from the rest of the men to do something terrible to her... And they were forgiven!?_ _

__Was she really worth that little to them? Was she so worthless that her life could be threatened, and the perpetrators let off as if it were a petty crime..._ _

__The whole situation made no sense... She was prized enough to be captured and taken care of, yet at the same time, it would mean nearly nothing were she to die..._ _

__Serena had little time to think on this... As soon as the man was satisfied she hadn’t broken or seriously injured anything, he hoisted her to her feet, holding her there to try and get Serena to stand..._ _

__At first, the teen’s legs shook, and putting weight on them seemed impossible... With a bit of time however, her bare feet found a footing on the uneven ground below..._ _

__Slowly weaning her from his grip, the man eased her into supporting her own weight, before letting go entirely, Serena standing up on her own, weak, shaking, but standing..._ _

__Their slave up and ready, the men begin to move, heading off on their journey, moving swiftly, they must cover a lot of ground today, and they have lost sunlight because of their new white captive..._ _

__One of the men, one which Serena recognised had held a knife to her throat, grabbed her wrists once more, forcing the girl to walk after the others, despite only just standing up mere minutes before..._ _

__Serena walked awkwardly, stumbling over dirt and stones, but with time she learned to adjust herself for this, her legs waking back up, letting her travel with little issue..._ _

__That was until about halfway through their journey..._ _

__*********************************************_ _

__The white girl came to a sudden, unannounced stop, a small groan of pain escaping her lips as she stood on forest soil, her legs wobbling, her balance uncertain..._ _

__Angrily, the man leading her barked, demanding in his own tongue that Serena keep going, they could not afford to wait for her!_ _

__Serena tried... Carefully, slowly, she lifted one dirt covered foot, shakily moving it in front of her..._ _

__Only to cry out in pain, collapsing to her knees as her legs gave way, leaving her a crumpled heap between the ferns as she began to sniffle..._ _

__Huffing in annoyance, the man lifted her up, grabbing her foot and checking it, surprised to see how sore and red it had become from their journey..._ _

__He looked at his own sole, the skin thicker, used to walking barefoot over this wilderness... Clearly, this white girl was fresh stock, her feet still used to the luxury of shoes..._ _

__He informed another man, the one who had fed Serena earlier, and he goes off, coming back with a strange piece of plant in his hand, torn fresh from the source..._ _

__Serena opened her eyes, her vision blurred by tears, seeing something strange, something green..._ _

__Blinking to help clear them, she saw what it was, a strange, foreign plant, one that she hadn’t seen even near the hotel..._ _

__“I-I’m not hungry...” Serena said to the man, confused, thinking he must be offering her food..._ _

__Instead, he crushed the plant in his hand, a gooey residue flowing from the compacted mess..._ _

__The girl stared warily, snivelling her nose in disgust at this odd thing... She definitely hoped she didn’t have to eat that..._ _

__To her relief, he turned his attention to her feet, mixing the goo together in his hands before rubbing it gently into her soles..._ _

__Serena winced in pain at first, the ointment stinging as it was applied to the sore area..._ _

__But gradually, the discomfort subsided, the substance soothing her feet, healing them slowly, the soles returning to their usual pale colour..._ _

__The man smiled as he saw that it had worked, having been unsure if such a treatment would work on a white... However, he knew she could not be allowed to walk barefoot any longer... She could seriously damage her soles that way, making her completely useless should they put her to work..._ _

__Instead, he waited for the substance to dry, before beckoning over another man, carrying two very familiar objects... Serena’s boots!_ _

__Serena was so happy to see just these two possessions, she couldn’t help but smile a little, moving her feet to let them slip the boots on, the men doing a good job of tightening the laces..._ _

__She felt glad to have them back... It showed they cared about her wellbeing, in spite of how she’d been treated... But she hoped this would not be the furthest extent of their hospitality towards her..._ _

__Slowly, Serena was stood back up, her legs threatening to give way once more..._ _

__But the teen could sense the mens anger, she could tell they were frustrated with her weaknesses.... She would have to push through, they might abandon her if she continued to be such an inconvenience..._ _

__Just as before, Serena placed an unsure foot forward, her eyes slamming shut and her teeth clenching as pain wracked through her leg..._ _

__But she faked a smile, nodding to the men, telling them it was ok to continue, she will not hinder them any further..._ _

__The moment she did this, the journey resumed, the man behind her giving a firm whack to her legs, a threat of what will happen should she falter once more..._ _

__*********************************************_ _

__The moon had been out for many hours, and the cries of nighttime Pokemon had filled the ambient air..._ _

__Serena was shuffling now, unable to fully take steps with any degree of confidence... She prayed, deep down inside, that they were nearly there..._ _

__The brunette did not dare ask her captors about this, or try to take a rest... She had made it this far, despite her disobedience, and she knew one more issue could be the last straw..._ _

__To Serena’s relief, a source of light soon appeared, the glow of what looked to be a particularly large settlement coming into her view..._ _

__With vision blurring in and out, and legs mere moments from giving way, Serena was glad to see this... But it also filled her with intense worry... She did not yet know what life she faced here, or even how long that life will be..._ _

__But as her feet began to drag along the ground, signs of dehydration evident around her parched lips, Serena felt blessed by this arrival... She would face whatever was to come with bravery and dignity..._ _

__If not for herself, for her family, for... For Satoshi, wherever he may be..._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to explore the racial aspect a tiny bit more, using more racial language and showing how little they really care about her as a white slave.
> 
> I did wanna show that some of these men can be caring, albeit to a point. Why they show care though is still unclear.
> 
> (This chapter was rewritten to better fit the latter chapters in the story)


	5. A New Home, A True Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her journey coming to an end, Serena is thankful her owners have reached a settlement... But what life awaits her beyond the thick wooden gates?

Two men stood guard at the gates to the village, muscled and well built like her captors a vacant yet stern expression strewn across their faces...

Serena looked at them once, but she quickly diverted her gaze as they returned her curiosity with harsh, piercing stares, their dislike for her quite evident...

Her party walked confidently through the large wooden gates, the full village coming into view, lit by fire torches along its length...

It was far more advanced than she had expected, given the rudimentary lives her captors had seemed to live... Huts, some of them fairly large, lined the streets... Not too far from her, a city square, complete with a marketplace, stood silent and empty... 

The whole village seemed dormant at this hour, most if not all of the residents fast asleep... But given its size, she could only imagine how busy it must be during the day...

Hearing voices from nearby, Serena turned her gaze away from the square, watching a small group of men approach hers, waving, arms open in greeting...

One by one, they hugged the returning tribesmembers, speaking with them like a family who had just returned from their holiday...

They spoke for only a few minutes before one of the men pointed at the bound woman, who has being held by the kinder of the men only a few feet away...

Serena struggled to hide her apprehension as one of the new men began to approach her, his gaze travelling the length of her body, seemingly studying her...

Serena shoved her legs together as his eyes travelled down, humiliated by his gaze, her attempts to cover herself displeasing the man greatly...

He angrily barked, and the man behind her slapped at her thighs, forcing her to spread her legs out and expose herself again...

Serena let out a nervous whimper, wanting to bury into herself so badly, wishing she wasn’t being stood up and shown off like cattle...

The poor teen shuddered as his hand made contact with the area she had tried to hide, a feeling that almost amounted to anger briefly sparking in her mind... Satoshi was the only person she was comfortable seeing her naked, she did not feel the same for this man, and this was her body, NOT his...

But the feeling of anger was brief, very brief... Serena had been beaten hard enough for accidental disobedience... She didn’t wanna find out what intentional misbehaviour would bring her...

He continued to touch her, Serena unable to hide her discomfort as she slammed her eyes shut... He was incredibly rough with her, this whole treatment was inhumane...

Serena sighed in relief as he finally let her body go, red marks starting to appear on the girl’s body from how carelessly he had handled her...

As one final test, he ordered another man to stand at her shoulder, quite obviously dwarfing the girl with his large frame.... 

The inspecting man pushed the two together, his dark skin next to her light one, comparing the two to see just how white this girl was...

Serena was puzzled by this... The last few tests she understood, they clearly valued her body, but why would they be comparing her next to a man?

The man finished his inspection, satisfied that this new girl was a nice light shade, and in generally good condition, albeit with some wear and tear from her long journey...

He began to converse with her owners, and it took Serena a while to understand just what they were doing...

The man would hold up his fingers to signify a number, making other gestures, and her owner would do the same...

What were they doing? Was this some small ritual of theirs, like a secret handshake? No, that would be much shorter, and there was no repetition here, just signs and symbols she couldn’t understand...

As her owner motioned around her body, emphasising her breasts and her curves, she realised what was really happening.

They weren’t just chatting... They were haggling!

Serena could see it now, the way he demonstrated her beauty and assets, the way he showed her off, he was **selling** her!

The white slave almost couldn’t believe what was happening to her right now... Here she stood, her arms restrained, her body exposed, being haggled over like livestock..

She almost wanted to cry at the thought, and almost did, stopping herself only to save her pride... She might be naked, and beaten, and trapped... But if she could keep her cool, she could keep whatever shreds of pride still remained within her...

Both men appeared to come to an agreement, shaking hands to seal the deal, before Serena felt herself being shoved towards the new man, stumbling into his arms, her owner walking away...

Serena turned her head towards her old owner as he strolled off, a deep betrayal in her gaze, she thought he had cared about her, even if he did hurt her... And now, he had just given her away to this stranger, yet another man who will probably beat her, a man she did not know she could trust...

“No, please, come back!” She begged, leaning out towards him, tears quickly building up in her stunned eyes...

But she was tugged back, given a harsh slap on her cheek, the man holding her whispering a warning into her ear, a warning she did not need a translator to understand... If she didn’t shut up, he’d shut her up!

She watched with pangs of sadness in her heart as he man who had briefly cared for her joined his friends, four goats being lead up to the group, along with four black women, nude just like her, but quite clearly happier, hugging the men as they greet them, one woman for every man...

Serena understood it all now... They had never valued her... She was almost completely worthless to them, good for fun but for little else... They just knew somebody who _would _see value in a prize like Serena...__

__Whenever they had stopped another from beating her, it was not out of concern for her wellbeing... They just didn’t want them to damage the merchandise..._ _

__And that caring, that feeding, it was not because he loved her... She was just good to cuddle with, just a woman... And that food and water was just to make sure she could walk the journey, to save them from having to carry her all that way..._ _

__Sniffling, Serena watched as the group walked off, her owner’s new girl kissing him gently on the lips, an equality between them that she never had the chance to experience..._ _

__Her attention was soon turned away from them however, as she felt something large and heavy being placed around her neck..._ _

__Coming back to reality, she realised many other men had surrounded her, a few of which were attaching a large leather collar around her neck, one that covered the entirety of it, with thick straps to help tighten it together..._ _

__Serena started to struggle as they attempted to place yet another bond on her already abused body, failing to make any difference as the men soon finished their work, tightening the brace like collar until it nearly strangled her, making escape from its grasp impossible..._ _

__A rope was attached to this, one end being given to her new owner, a handle present... It was her leash, his way of walking her, Serena being treated no better than a dog..._ _

__Sniffling and coughing slightly from the pressure, Serena tugged back against the rope as they began pulling her away, determined to stop this, to just find a way out of here, to get back home, she wanted to go home so bad!_ _

__But these men were strong, and it took almost no effort to drag her away, the already exhausted teen being forced to take more steps, to continue her never ending journey..._ _

__Her weakness becoming evident, she fell sharply to her knees, a deep wince sounding out as they slammed into the dirt, Serena not even attempting to look up at her captors for support... They were probably gonna beat her again..._ _

__Instead, they tugged her hair once more, enjoying the benefit of her curls, the length giving them a good grip, not like the hair of some other slaves..._ _

__With no choice but to comply, Serena once more struggled to her feet, each step causing deep pain as she shuffled along the ground, following the men as they lead her through the village..._ _

__In a short amount of time, they reached a wooden hut, opening the door and leading their tired captive inside..._ _

__Gently, they lowered her onto some animal skins, finally letting the teen rest on her back after her active day, giving Serena one of the few things she wanted..._ _

__Serena gasped somewhat as her collar was loosened and removed, able to breathe with no difficulty now... She was thankful they had not gagged her also... She doubted she could have made the walk if that had been the case..._ _

__She felt another thing happening, the rope around her wrists finally being removed, a sharp knife cutting through the strands..._ _

__They had to physically stop Serena as her arms lost their restraint, almost flopping straight down to the ground beside her..._ _

__They lower them both, being careful with her wrists, which had been rubbed raw by her bonds..._ _

__A soothing ointment was applied to her painful wrists, helping to cool them, starting the healing process... It would not be fixed instantly, but it was important that they get started... Many slaves had been lost from their restraints being worn too long, and receiving no treatment..._ _

__Serena was a rare white beauty, an uncommon prize... She had to be be kept alive at all costs..._ _

__Almost falling asleep, Serena’s near slumber became interrupted as she felt something happening around her feet..._ _

___”Hmm... That’s strange... They’re doing something with my feet...” _Serena thought to herself in her drowsy state...__ _ _

_____”Huh... They must be taking my boots off.... Wait, my boots!” ____ _ _ _

______Serena suddenly sat up, despite her weakness, her arms reaching out in desperation towards the men as they untied her laces, stealing back her boots, her only possessions, leaving her with nothing!_ _ _ _ _ _

______She was roughly pushed back down, held there as she began to scream and sob in anguish, kicking her legs about as they took the only things she owned..._ _ _ _ _ _

______But it was too late.. Laying there, a sobbing mess, Serena kicked her feet about, bare and shoeless, once more completely nude and owning nothing, not even herself..._ _ _ _ _ _

______The men held Serena down, doing all that they could not to hurt her as they let her have her tantrum, the young woman screaming and crying like an overwhelmed child, letting her do what she needed to get the pain out..._ _ _ _ _ _

______As her weakness quickly overwhelmed her, and her tiredness became crushing, Serena calmed down, her tantrum over, silently crying as her lungs became too weak to scream..._ _ _ _ _ _

______The men tried to show her affection, one of them stroking her hair, trying to give her a bit of comfort to avoid another screaming session... Their neighbours would be most displeased at being woken by a hollering slave girl..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Seeing that she wouldn’t be misbehaving again for tonight, the men got up, walking towards the door of the hut..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Shakily, Serena lifted her head, staring tiredly at the men, uttering the few words she could force through her parched throat..._ _ _ _ _ _

______“F... food... w-water... p.... p.... please...” Begged the girl, she was so hungry, so thirsty..._ _ _ _ _ _

______One man reassured her, and whilst Serena could not understand what he spoke, she understood enough... They would care for her... For how long, she did not know... But she could tell these men were more considerate than the last..._ _ _ _ _ _

______A few minutes after the men left, and fighting sleep, Serena heard the door of her hut open once more..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Unable to sit up, Serena was forced to lay there, still and weak, unable to see who had just entered into the room..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Her fears subsided as a face appeared, a young black woman, around her age, a gentle, soft smile on her face..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Serena felt relieved, not only to meet a friendly gaze, but to meet another woman... Being surrounded by men, she had felt so vulnerable, so threatened... But this was a woman, she did not possess the strength or aggressiveness of her fellow men..._ _ _ _ _ _

______The girl sat Serena up against one of the huts walls, placing an animal skin behind her head to help keep her comfortable... With her was a few small bowls, water shimmering in one of them, the other containing some sort of soup..._ _ _ _ _ _

______She took the bowl of water, pushing it against Serena’s lips before tilting it, letting her drink her fill before offering her the bowl of soup and doing the same..._ _ _ _ _ _

______The soup was tasty, meaty and hearty, it filled her well... Serena almost wished they had met under better circumstances... She would have loved to get the recipe for this, Satoshi would-_ _ _ _ _ _

______Serena teared up as memories of her boyfriend flooded her mind, the man who had left her the same day this ordeal began... She still loved him... Maybe he still loved her..._ _ _ _ _ _

______And now, she’d never know, because she was trapped in some fucking madhouse!_ _ _ _ _ _

______The woman hugged Serena as she began to break down, shushing her softly, hugging her into her bosom, comforting her, holding her gently..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Serena soon calmed back down again, humming a little as the woman supported her, making her feel truly loved, with no exceptions this time... She understood how Serena must feel, she cared for Serena..._ _ _ _ _ _

______The white girl tried to lift her arm, to touch her friend for support, but it shook, lifting only mere inches before flopping back onto the floor..._ _ _ _ _ _

______The woman rubbed Serena’s arm, telling the tired pale teen she should not try to move so soon, she needed time to recover..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Serena groaned, her body feeling shattered by her whole ordeal... She gave a weak smile as the woman comforted her, her grip tiny as their hands met, the first human connection with these people Serena had had that she herself could take part in..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Groaning again, Serena’s eyes shut, the teen becoming weak...._ _ _ _ _ _

______Seeing this, the woman slowly moved her back onto the animal skins, back onto the floor, letting Serena rest..._ _ _ _ _ _

______She gently sang to Serena, a song she had never heard before, but it mattered not... Her voice soothed her, calmed her, echoing through Serena’s mind as she finally lost consciousness..._ _ _ _ _ _

______*********************************************_ _ _ _ _ _

______Serena spent the next few days rebuilding her strength... Every morning, the woman would arrive to give her food, water and comfort, to make sure Serena was ok..._ _ _ _ _ _

______The brunette wished she could speak to this woman, to converse, but they knew not how to speak to each other... Serena therefore kept her conversation brief with the black girl, although the white slave was sure to show her gratitude every time she came to visit..._ _ _ _ _ _

______The pale girl quickly grew bored in her drab hut however... She was unrestrained in here, but there was practically nothing to see or do..._ _ _ _ _ _

______She was lucky to get a glimpse of the outside world, when the guards would take her behind the hut for when she needed to use the toilet (which was just a crudely dug hole in the ground)... They did not dare let the black girl take her... They did not trust a woman to be able to handle Serena should she attempt to escape..._ _ _ _ _ _

______And this possibility was becoming more and more likely... With every passing day, Serena was building her strength back up, her mental strength following suit..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Were the white slave able to clamber over their fences and into the forest, all their hard work would have been for nothing..._ _ _ _ _ _

______*********************************************_ _ _ _ _ _

______Serena yawned as she awoke on another hot day, her body glistening with sweat as she stretched, slowly getting used to the heat she now so often had to endure..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Standing up, her legs now fully healed, she grabbed two of the animal skins, tying one around her chest, and one around her hips, covering her private areas with those furry blankets..._ _ _ _ _ _

______She had been doing this ever since her first awakening here, relieved she could cover her nakedness.... The black girl had stared at her strangely when first she saw this, but due to her kind nature, she did not indicate there was any issue..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Her guards were less than lenient about that however... Were she to greet them dressed like that, they ripped the skins off of her and threw them on the floor, seemingly disgusted by her attempts to cover herself, something only they have the privilege of...._ _ _ _ _ _

______Despite this, she wore them, knowing her friend would be coming round any moment now... She looked forward to their daily meetings..._ _ _ _ _ _

______To her shock, the door suddenly burst open, men filling the hut, Serena clutching her skins to her tightly... She would not let them humiliate her again!_ _ _ _ _ _

______But these men were not caring... They grabbed and tugged at her skins, throwing them off and exposing her body, the poor teen using her arms to cover herself..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Even this displeased them, and they pulled her arms down and away from her body, being careful not to be too rough... Her bruises had mostly healed, they did not wish to injure her further on such an important day..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Serena screamed as they hoisted her up, dragging her towards the hut door, the collar being quickly shoved back around her neck!_ _ _ _ _ _

______Fighting her captors both bravely and stupidly, Serena grabbed onto the hut’s doorway, clinging to the wood, keeping herself stationary..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Sighing annoyedly, one of the men walked up to her, peeling her fingers from the frame one by one, another man grabbing her wrists and pulling her arms in front of her to ensure she could not reclaim her grip..._ _ _ _ _ _

______The white girl grew increasingly defiant, even as they pulled her from the safety of her hut... Once out in the open, Serena intentionally let her legs give way, staying on her knees in the dirt, a defiant look on her face, she would not be going with them!_ _ _ _ _ _

______Frustrated by this point, one man took initiative, pointing his spear directly at the pale girl!_ _ _ _ _ _

______She immediately crumbled, getting to her feet, raising her hands up in the air to show she wasn’t a threat... Serena did not wish to know how it felt to be speared, and she would do everything she could to avoid it..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Smiling wickedly, the man gave Serena’s ass a harsh slap, a push to get her to walk, the girl doing so obediently, the man with her leash leading her like a horse, using the same methods to tame her..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Serena walked silently through the village, the villagers stopping to gaze at her, somebody of her appearance a once in a lifetime sight in a place like this..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Growing uncomfortable, Serena tried to cover her exposed chest with her arms again, only to have the men slap them, pushing them down, showing the poor teen just how important her nakedness was to them..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Eventually, they reached another hut, this one larger, grander, the sound of high pitched voices emanating from within.._ _ _ _ _ _

______Serena stood there, her handler having a firm grip on her leash, as they knocked, a young, pretty woman answering the door, black like all the other women had been..._ _ _ _ _ _

______She beckoned Serena forwards, and she was forcibly shoved towards them, swift hands untying her collar whilst another pair held her still and secure, not giving her the chance to run..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Anxious and worried, Serena was pushed into the hut, the door shut and locked by the black woman, the white girl now unrestrained by anybody..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Turning around, Serena was met with a surreal sight... A large bathing area sat in the middle of the hut, a large, smooth concave stone bowl built into the floor, filled with warm, steaming water..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Surrounding this were many other black girls, all of them sporting some sort of tattoo on their outer thigh or ass cheek..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Suddenly, Serena noticed the black girl she had met all those nights ago, standing with the others and smiling at her!_ _ _ _ _ _

______The white girl ran to her friend with open arms, hugging her tightly, the black girl doing the same, rubbing her back to help calm her, knowing she must be confused..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Serena broke the hug and gave her friend a look of concern, the black woman speaking reassuringly to her, letting her know that whatever is gonna happen, she’ll be ok, she’ll be safe...._ _ _ _ _ _

______Somewhat more relaxed now, Serena was lead into the bowl, the water coming up to her hips..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Without warning, the women piled in to join her, grabbing small bowls and pouring water over her, washing her of the dirt and grime she had collected from the events of that week..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Serena yelped as she felt them pour the water over her, trying to push them away, uncomfortable washing with so many strangers!_ _ _ _ _ _

______But they did not allow her to do this... It was their job to make sure she was fully clean, she had to be pristine for the ceremony..._ _ _ _ _ _

______After much washing, they carried her from the washing area, the water dirty, but the girl fresh and clean..._ _ _ _ _ _

______They began to dry her off with woollen towels, the produce of some type of sheep like Pokemon they must farm, rubbing and drying every area, even her most intimate, the cloth of the towel the only thing between them and her bare white skin..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Once the drying was finished, Serena’s hair somewhat of a mess, they pulled out a large, special comb, the head bust of a white woman carved into the handle, showing it was for her hair..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Serena stared at her friend as the black woman began to comb through the pale teen’s messy hair, tidying it up and bringing out its full beauty, leaving the white slave stunning..._ _ _ _ _ _

______But they were not done with the girl yet... One woman walked off, coming back with a bowl of ointment, unlike the ones Serena had seen before..._ _ _ _ _ _

______The white teen backed off anxiously, but her friend and the others eased her back over, rubbing her back in support, reassuring her, this is a good thing..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Trusting them, Serena let her friend take some of the ointment and begin to rub it into the brunette’s skin..._ _ _ _ _ _

______The dark teen started somewhere respectful at first, her stomach, but she began to rise, moving up and up, until she was just below Serena’s bosom..._ _ _ _ _ _

______The white girl gently tried to ease her black friend’s hands away from thenarea, but instead found that the others had grabbed ointment and were joining in, rubbing it into every nook and cranny of Serena’s body..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Serena whimpered as her nerves grew increasingly uneasy, the women’s hands going to places that made her uncomfortable, she didn’t want this..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Helpless to push away so many hands, Serena simply whimpered uncomfortably, wondering what they were doing this for, why were they doing this!?_ _ _ _ _ _

______Soon, the women finished with most of her body. The only part left was her face and neck, which they dealt with quickly, Serena shrivelling her nose and shutting her eyes as they massaged the unknown substance into her cheeks and forehead, the women covering everywhere possible..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Soon done, Serena opened her eyes, observing her body to see what effect this stuff had had on her..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Her body glistened slightly, not with sweat, but in a gentler, almost oily way, although Serena did not feel greasy or oily, only soothed..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Her preparations nearly complete, the women took out a bowl with a strange paste, the colours mixed to fit her skin tone..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Before she could ask what it was, they began brushing it onto her skin over the ointment, applying it over her bruises, blemishes and scars, beautifying the pale girl, a slave being treated like a beauty queen..._ _ _ _ _ _

______With this done, she was lead back to the door, the women opening it, holding Serena to stop her from fleeing..._ _ _ _ _ _

______The men stood directly outside in front of her, blocking her path to ensure that even if she managed to break out, she wouldn’t get too far..._ _ _ _ _ _

______She was quickly collared again, the men being careful not to mess up her appearance, but being sure to tighten her restraint, their property’s value worth the discomfort..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Serena felt a tug on her collar and instinctively began to follow, needing no input this time... The white teen was quickly learning to obey, to let her master’s lead her around... And deep down, it scared her, this was not who she was..._ _ _ _ _ _

______The tribe had congregated in the village square, the area decorated with beautiful bright flowers, ceremonial priestesses and shamans present, a big event clearly about to be held..._ _ _ _ _ _

______In the middle of the square, dancers were singing and dancing to the beat of drums and the whistles of wooden flutes, beautiful, free women, dressed up with gold and bright colours, a celebration taking place..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Serena soon found herself being adorned with accessories, a flower being placed in her long curly hair, small golden earrings being placed through her ear lobes (Serena had luckily already had them pierced years ago)..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Dolled up and ready, her collar removed once more, Serena was placed in the centre of the dancing circle, the women swaying around her, the centre of attention!_ _ _ _ _ _

______Serena was unsure what to make of this... She understood they thought of her as very beautiful, and she was grateful to be clean... But she was still a slave, she was still without clothing, she was still being treated like property..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Suddenly, the dancers stopped, whispering falling among the crowd before the villagers suddenly began to kneel and bow, the crowd of people seeming to collapse into one obedient sea..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Serena was the only one left standing, save for the nearby guards who watched her, one of them walking over and shoving her to the floor, threatening her with a hushed anger, she must stay down..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Starting to shake in fear, and to grow ever more concerned, Serena kept herself low, watching the others discreetly as they peeked towards a certain direction, somebody was coming..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Serena slowly turned herself to look, a distant figure being carried through the village, surrounded by a convoy of people..._ _ _ _ _ _

______They were sat on a portable throne, the back and sides adorned with pretty feathers and colours, the whole appearance majestic..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Within view, Serena soon saw who the occupant of this throne was, presumably the reason the white slave had been made to look so beautiful..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Sat comfortably within the throne, not having to use her legs to do anything, was a gorgeous ebony beauty, her hair massive, bushy and styled, her loincloth made of the finest silk, her earrings larger, thicker, with precious stones embedded within the purest gold..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Serena was stunned by this sight, her jaw dropping at the appearance of this living goddess... Most of the women here had appeared to be slaves, and even the free ones certainly belonged to their husbands..._ _ _ _ _ _

______But this woman seemed free AND proud, the epitome of class, a woman who belonged to no one, and who oversaw everyone..._ _ _ _ _ _

______The white slave averted her gaze as the woman’s throne was placed at the edge of the circle, the woman standing up tall, graceful, her large head of hair not seeming to hinder her movements..._ _ _ _ _ _

______She strolled with both care and power towards the crumpled teen, the poor girl becoming more and more nervous as the woman approached, not knowing what may happen to her..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Huddled and shaking, Serena suddenly saw something break into her view, the pale palm of a beautiful black hand, offered out to her..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Slowly, hesitantly, Serena lifted her head, finding herself face to face with nobility, closer to this woman than most people could ever hope to be..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Serena had nothing to say, and part of her was scared to, thinking words would be useless with such a barrier between them..._ _ _ _ _ _

______Which is why it was all the more surprising when the woman above her opened her mouth to speak._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Hello there, please, do not be afraid... Take my hand, you are home now, you are mine...” Said the queen, her voice soft, her accent thick, yet her use of English unmistakable..._ _ _ _ _ _

______At the sound of words she could understand, Serena suddenly went mad with relief, grabbing onto the queen and holding onto her for dear life!_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Oh thank god! You speak English!! Please, there’s been a terrible mistake, these men kidnapped me and brought me here, I do not belong in this village, I need you to contact the authorities and tell them where I am!” Serena blurted our loudly, the relief of another soul knowing her words enough to make her spill out her thoughts right in front of the startled queen!_ _ _ _ _ _

______The whole crowd gasped as Serena, in the span of mere seconds, did things that no commoner, let alone a slave, should ever do to somebody of her royal status..._ _ _ _ _ _

______The queen stared at Serena with a look of shock, used to people letting her step all over them, not used to having slaves grab and shout at what was literally a living goddess..._ _ _ _ _ _

______The awkward silence left by this was broken with a loud **SLAP!** as the queen backhandedly whacked the white girl across her face, her look of shock turning into one of disgust as she voiced her anger!_ _ _ _ _ _

______“How **DARE** you speak to me like that! I am Queen Iris! I am not some dirty commoner, I am not a pathetic, lowly white slave like you! Get your hands off of me!!!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Serena’s firm grip disappeared as the force of the slap hit her, the queen shoving her off once she was done speaking, letting the slave fall straight back down to the ground!_ _ _ _ _ _

______Enraged, Iris shouted out an order in her language to the guards, the men grabbing Serena and beginning to drag her off, the collar being swiftly and painfully put back on as the white captive was forced away, being taken to places unknown..._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Aaah!!! I didn’t know! Please! I didn’t know!! **PLEASE DON’T KILL ME I DIDN’T KNOW!!!!!** ” Begged the terrified Serena, her feet kicking up dust as she pummelled the ground below with her kicks, trying to get away, scared of the prospect that disrespecting a queen could be her end!_ _ _ _ _ _

______They showed her little leeway this time, one man going as far as to tighten her neck brace well beyond its limits, strangling the poor girl and silencing her cries, Serena growing weak as tense strong men dragged her flailing form away..._ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well it took 5 chapters, but our girl Iris has finally made an appearance! ^-^ 
> 
> I’ve really enjoyed doing this so far, and this chapter has been the greatest yet. I’m really looking forward to showing you guys what happens next.
> 
> (This chapter was rewritten to better fit the following chapters of this story)


	6. The Royal Wedding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having made a grave error with a royal queen, Serena is dragged off to face the consequences, whatever they may be...

The teen girl felt her body go limp, her face turning blue as strong men pulled her into one of the larger huts, clearly a place of some importance...

The collar was loosened, the slave gasping for air as she was laid down on more animal skins, the men letting her go, letting her lay there to recover...

Serena kept her eyes on the men as they left her alone in the hut, the door locking from the outside as they walked off, leaving their captive in isolation, her actions unforgivable...

The white slave started to cry again, but not loudly, no sobbing...

This crying was quiet, subdued, she didn’t want them to hear her, she just needed to cry, to deal with the emotions, with how she was being treated...

Wrapping herself in the animal skins for comfort, Serena curled into herself, keeping herself in her own little world, a world where she wasn’t a slave, where she wasn’t being abused, where she wasn’t kept naked and scared...

A few minutes passed before Serena heard the door open, peeking out of her fur cocoon to see who had come to see her, expecting another tall man, ready to punish and hurt her further...

To her surprise, it wasn’t even a man... Before her stood a short, curvy woman, her skin dark like the other natives...

Behind her, one of the guards walked in to try and pull Serena from her safe place, stopped only by the girl as she shouted angrily towards him, denying him permission to touch her...

In a strange move, the man glared at the black girl, but he obeyed, leaving the hut and shutting the door, a man being told what to do by a woman... It was almost unthinkable in a place like this!

The two of them alone now, the dark girl turned her attention to the pale teen, Serena gripping the skins tightly as fear began to build within her, unsure of who this may be...

And then, to break the awkward silence between them, the village girl spoke...

“My mistress, Her Majesty Queen Iris, has requested that I speak to you... I too speak the white man’s tongue, so I trust you can understand me...” Said the black haired woman, her voice clear, still with a thick accent, but slow... Wether the simplicity was for the girl’s benefit or Serena’s, the white slave did not know...

Serena slowly uncovered her face, keeping herself wrapped safely, the other girl giving her an almost sympathetic look... She could see the long shiny streaks across her face, where Serena had been silently crying...

The white girl stared into the dark eyes of the other woman, her voice faltering as she spoke...

“Why.... Why am I h-here? What did I do? Please... Y-you have to help me...” Begged the clearly upset Serena, the bruising on her neck starting to appear in light blotches from her mistreatment...

The ebony woman sighed in understanding, taking a few steps forward, the pale teen hiding herself again in fear!

“Please, I will bring you no harm like the men... I wish only to sit beside you...” Explained the black girl, Serena peeking out again and giving her a single, solitary nod, letting her know it was ok, so long as she wasn’t there to cause her harm...

Her feet bare like Serena’s, the girl walked over to her, sitting herself down with her legs crossed beside the white slave...

“I am sorry that you have been treated so roughly, but, it was said that you were particularly disobedient... I wish they would have shown you more understanding... But at the same time, you have proven yourself defiant, and the men have sought to tame that defiance...” Said the dark woman, her words blunt...

Serena grew somewhat angered by this, turning to face the other girl, her eyes filled with both anger and pain...

“Defiant!? I have done only what any woman would do in my situation! Your men hurt me, they strangled me, they punched me, slapped me, pulled my hair! They stripped me, left me like some sort of animal, treated me worse than a dog! How can you say this is my fault when I’ve been treated like that!?” Serena exclaimed angrily... After everything she had been through, she knew it couldn’t be her fault...

For the first time, her outburst was not treated with restraint or punishment... Instead, the black girl nodded, clearing her throat to speak...

“I understand why you feel this way... You were taken by strange men, and treated in ways that went against the privilege you’d experienced with your people... But you are not with your people anymore, you belong to my people... And given your... complexion... You should count yourself lucky that you have been treated as you have... Many of your kind fare much worse...” Responded the woman, her words harsh, but true...

Serena was unsure what to say, so much new information coming in at once... Her complexion? What did that have to do with anything?

Feeling that it would not be in her best interest to ask, fearing more bad news, Serena decided instead to change the subject and try to converse properly with this lady...

“M-my name is Serena...” The white girl asked nervously, slowly pulling out her arm, holding out her hand...

The other woman stared confusedly at this, unsure why a slave girl was attempting the greeting used between men.. Both of them would be beaten harshly were the guards to see this...

“My name is Akinyi... But please, sister, do not hold your hand so... They will punish you if you try to do what the men do... It is rude here...” Warned the black girl, wanting to protect her white counterpart...

Serena quickly moved her arm back into her fur blankets, Akinyi’s words worrying her...

“I am sorry to worry you so, Serena... I know you have many reasons to worry with what has happened... But if you listen to me, I can tell you how you can adapt to being here, I will help you settle in....” Offered Akinyi, willing  
to deal with the girl’s social misconceptions, understanding she must be confused...

“Th-thank you Akinyi, I will try my best to learn from you, if that is what will help me...” Serena replied, speaking a little slower than usual, trying to match the other girl’s speech pattern... Perhaps it was easier for her to speak slowly to her, as she had been doing to Serena...

“I don’t wanna sound rude, Akinyi, so if I am by all means please stop me... But, are you a slave too, like me?” Serena asked with a sadness in her voice, hoping that this kind, understanding woman had the freedom she clearly deserved...

Akinyi nodded, her gaze falling to the floor, unhappy memories starting to hint at themselves in her mind...

“Yes... I have been a slave most of my life... Queen Iris’s father, His Majesty Chief Tariku, expanded his land and claimed that of my tribe... My people fought, but it wasn’t a battle they could have won... I feel blessed that the Chief found it in his hearts to spare some of us, despite the many men of his that we had killed... Our men were substituted for theirs and sacrificed in their honour... The others, including me, had the honour of becoming slaves to the Zhireti tribe... That is where we are right now, in their village...” Akinyi explained, giving quite a lot of information for such a simple question...

Serena looked shocked to hear all this... These people must be barbaric... They took over Akinyi’s entire tribe and enslaved her and her people... And she felt honoured!?

“How can you say that about them!? Your home was destroyed and you ended up becoming a slave! You would be free right now if they hadn’t been so cruel...” Serena said with a hint of anger in her voice, shocked that Akinyi had endured that, that such a well spoken and friendly woman was mere war spoils to her captors...

“Oh Serena, you do not understand, we were treated very kindly here... They did not split up the families like so often happens... I was able to remain with my mother and sisters, we even got to share the same slave quarters... It was difficult at first, and we felt unlucky to begin with... But as we met more slaves, those who had worked in the fields and the farms, those who had been subjected to horrible things, we realised we were blessed to be treated with such kindness...” Responded the black slave, unmoved in her feelings towards her owners...

Serena sighed, and tried to adjust her point somewhat...

“But Akinyi, would you not want to be free? You could go anywhere, and do anything, you could even wear proper clothes, nobody would stop you, or punish you...” Serena argued as she stared down at Akinyi’s loincloth, the only clothing she had been blessed with...

Akinyi shook her head, somewhat annoyed by her friend’s insistence at the unfairness of their captivity... She would have to make her case stronger...

“Serena, before we were enslaved here, we were mere crop farmers... We had no more clothes on us than I do right now... Had we not been enslaved, I would have likely been sold off as a slave to help feed my family, or married off to a man to be his wife, my life would not have been much better....” Akinyi argued back, taking a deep breath before continuing...

“As a slave, I will admit, I have had my fair share of beatings... But I found love and security in this village, we did not have to pay for our food or keep, we needed only to work as we had before... And then, the gods smiled down upon me, and I got the honour of becoming an assistant to one of the Chief’s maids before his unfortunate passing... I got to work not in the fields, but in the palace, away from the sun, and the flies.... I got to experience things I never could have as a free woman... And even though it meant I had to lose my male relatives, I got to find many more of my own...” 

Serena went silent, she hadn’t considered the facts... These people were not from her culture, they led much different lives... It was rude of her to consider Akinyi’s thoughts wrong, even if she still believed her friend deserved to be free...

Turning to the dark woman, Serena nodded a little, to show she understood...

“Look, Akinyi, I’m sorry... I didn’t realise the benefits you managed to gain from your ordeal... But my life is different... My family works many different jobs, I myself am a Pokemon Performer, I perform in showcases, I enjoy the stage, the lights, the attention... I come from a very different world, this land is not my own... And the longer I am away from my home, the harder it will be to return...”

The white slave went silent again, pulling her knees to her chest, thinking of her home, her career... She hoped she’d be ready to return to the showcases once her rescue arrived...

Serena felt her back being softly rubbed... She turned to face Akinyi, seeing that the girl was currently rubbing her back, and gave her a small smile...

“Serena, I had no idea things were so different for you... I understood you came from a different land, all whites do, but your life is so strange to me, so different that I cannot understand it... But I can tell that you miss it, clearly you were living in some luxury... I’m afraid I cannot release you, it is not in my power, only her majesty can do so...” Explained Akinyi, giving Serena her only option of escape... She would have to beg the queen for her release, although not as passionately as before...

“S-so, if I were to ask politely, Iris might send me back home?” Asked Serena, hope in her eyes...

“Serena, such a thing is discouraged, Iris has chosen you to be her wife, you would find it wise not to attempt asking questions like that...” Said the black woman, shooting down Serena’s hopes...

“Well, why not? We’re both women, and as you said, I had a life that you would consider luxury... In many ways, we would be equa-“

Akinyi’s hand slammed over Serena’s mouth before she could finish her sentence, holding it tightly to her lips, the dark slave’s head shaking back and forth frantically...

“Do not say such things! You must learn not to speak of yourself so highly, you must never compare yourself to Her Majesty!” Warned Akinyi in hushed whispers, looking about to make sure none of the guards had entered, Serena would be killed if they were able to understand her...

Nodding back, Serena felt Akinyi’s hand move away, letting the white teen speak again...

“Sorry, I keep forgetting she’s meant to be royalty... I’m scared Akinyi, I slipped up just talking to you, and I’ve already managed to offend her quite badly, I don’t know what she’s gonna do to me!” Exclaimed Serena, starting to hyperventilate a little as the gravity of her prior actions towards Iris hit her, realising she was in trouble, she was in deep shit...

Rubbing her back harder, hugging her slightly, Akinyi shushed the girl, trying to calm her...

“Worry not, you will not face any further repercussions unless you insult Her Majesty once more... Were you not so beautiful, I fear she would have killed you... But I was able to speak with my mistress and convince her that I could help refine you, that you would not embarrass or offend her ever again....” The black slave said reassuringly, knowing it must be tough for Serena right now...

“Y-You did that for me?” Serena asked with wide eyes, shocked that a complete stranger would help spare her...

Akinyi nodded, and Serena moved to lean against her, resting her head against the woman...

“Oh, there was only one small condition though, Serena...” 

Serena smiled, relaxing into Akinyi’s chest...

“And what is it?” She asked calmly...

“If you once more cause such outrage at the ceremony, you will be sacrificed...” Warned Akinyi...

Serena sat up straight, turning to look at her friend in shock!

“Wait, sacrificed!?” She exclaimed in surprise, her heart rate rising... 

“Yes, but please, worry not... You are allowed to get some things wrong.. Just don’t speak unless spoken to, and don’t grab or shout at Her Majesty, then you will be fine....”

The pale slave became calm once more, still anxious, but less so now that she knew what she had to face... Overall, she felt relieved she could finally talk to somebody again...

“W-will you be there, for the ceremony? I don’t know if I can do this on my own...” Asked Serena nervously, clutching the furs...

”Don’t worry my friend, of course I’ll be there... I’ll translate for both you and them, I’ll help you take part... It will be simple Serena, just keep calm, and don’t do anything unless I tell you to, alright?” Reassured Akinyi, her words making Serena feel more supported than ever...

“Ok Akinyi... I trust you...” Replied Serena, a clear sincerity in her tone, she really meant it..

“The ceremony will resume soon, you are ready, yes?” Akinyi asked the girl, knowing they had stalled for far too long already...

Serena nodded, but as Akinyi rose to go to the door, the white slave grabbed her arm, stopping her, wanting to ask one last thing...

Looking up at her equal, her fellow slave, Serena blushed subtly...

“Y-you said I was beautiful... Do you really think I am?” Asked Serena nervously...

Akinyi let a warm smile come across her face, looking Serena in the eyes as she responded...

“Serena, you are a very pretty girl... Her Majesty already told me of how beautiful you look to her... Do not fear about her liking your appearance... She is smitten by your looks...” The dark slave replied reassuringly, taking Serena’s hand and helping her up... They had a wedding to get to...

*********************************************

The two slaves opened the door, a few of the girls from the washing hut standing outside... They observed Serena’s appearance, putting some extra makeup over her new bruises, before handing her over to the guards...

Akinyi shouted angrily at the men as they roughly tugged Serena to them, pulling out the familiar collar and starting to put it around her neck again, the white woman growing more nervous with every strap that was tightened...

They ignored her black friend’s request however, saying something to her in rebuttal as they started to tug on the white slave’s leash, Serena beginning her obedient journey back to the ceremony, putting up no fight, Akinyi following with them...

“I apologise for their handling of you Serena, but these men do not trust you, they say you have struggled against them before...” Explained the black slave, trying to reassure her friend in any way possible...

Serena nodded in understanding, not daring to speak in front of her handlers, and instead studied Akinyi, curious of how similar she was to the other ordinary slaves...

One thing she quickly noticed before anything however was the black girl’s height. She was shorter than Serena, much shorter, perhaps even under 5ft... her large curves and features have her a rounded, cuddly appearance, she had clearly blossomed into a beautiful young woman herself...

It was hard to judge her age, but she was almost certainly as old as Serena, and in fact she may have been older even...

But searching for a tattoo, Serena found none, no matter how closely (and somewhat uncomfortably) she studied Akinyi’s thigh...

Looking back up at the girl, Serena spoke, forgetting just what was happening...

“Akinyi, where’s your tattoo?” Asked the brunette, knowing all the other slaves had one...

One of the men went to strike Serena for speaking out of turn, stopped only by Akinyi’s harsh glare, knowing she could probably see to it that the Queen had him killed...

Begrudgingly, he lowered his hand, wishing that bitch wasn’t the Queen’s lapdog... He’d buy her if he could, just to shove that rudeness back in her face, and in other places too...

Akinyi, meanwhile, turned to Serena, ready to answer her...

“I was too young when captured to receive the tattoo, and by the time I’d come of age, I was working in the palace... Palace slaves do not require tattoos, they are rarely let out alone, and therefore rarely run away...” Akinyi said with a smile, looking down at her lucky, unblemished thigh...

Serena got it fully now... They didn’t just wear those tattoos as the mark of a slave, it identified them... If they ran off, they could be caught and returned to their rightful owner... It was cruel, yes... But Serena had to admit, it was certainly clever...

They came to a stop as they reached the ceremony area, the villagers dancing once more, although many gave her odd looks, wondering just how she was still alive and well after what she’d done...

The brace removed again, she was shoved back into the circle, staring around at the dancers as they continued their act, the Queen likely minutes from arrival...

Serena was not wrong... The crowd fell silent and fell to the floor on cue as the Queen’s throne was once more carried towards the area, the white slave dropping down with the others, bowing before she could even see her owner’s face...

The slave stayed there, motionless, ready, until a familiar hand came into view, Serena raising her head to look into the eyes of royalty...

But there was no smile on the Queen’s face, none of the soft, gentle grace she had shown before...

Instead, looking grumpy and tired, the black beauty uttered two rather stern words...

“Get up....”

Taking her hand, Serena shocked by how soft and smooth Iris’s palm was, the Queen lifted her white fiancé to her feet, keeping a firm grip on her hand as she lead her to the crowd of gathered priestesses and shamans...

With Akinyi joining them, the ceremony fully began, the high priestess stepping forward, staring deep into the eyes of their ruler...

Akinyi placed her lips beside Serena’s ear, translating the native words for her as they were said...

The priestess, her body adorned in wild makeup and ornamental bones from several different Pokemon, cleared her throat...

“Do you, Iris, Queen of the Zhireti, accept this white to be your slave, your property, your wife?”

The queen nodded...

“Yes, beloved mother of the Earth, I accept this white to be my slave, my property, my wife...” Replied Iris, her voice confident and strong...

The priestess nodded, and turned next to Serena, her stare unnerving the poor white teen...

“And do you, Serena, slave of the Zhireti, accept Queen Iris as your mistress, your owner, your wife?”

Akinyi whispered the words Serena must say into her ear, doing it slowly so the white girl could speak out their complicated, foreign language...

“āwo... yemiwedishi... yemidiri, inati inē... ichīni sēti... imebētē... ፣ irenyo, ፣ mīsitē... iniditihoni... ik’ebelalehu ፡፡...” Said Serena, the white slave stumbling over some of the pronunciations as she spoke the unfamiliar tongue...

Some of the crowd chuckled as they heard the pale teen’s attempt to repeat their words, finding it hilarious...

Once they fell silent, the chief shaman stepped forward to join the high priestess, speaking to both the superior black queen and her inferior white slave...

“I recognise and approve, as chief shaman, this union of mistress and slave... May the gods bless you with good fortune...” Said the shaman, his voice gravelly and deep...

“And I recognise and approve, as high priestess, this union of slave and mistress... May the gods bless you with good fortune...” She said in response, both the highest religious council in the village giving their blessing...

Finally, in unison, they spoke as one...

“The union has been recognised by both parties... It must now be sealed and bonded with a holy kiss..”

Serena’s eyes widened as Akinyi whispered those words back into her ears, turning Serena to face Iris, the beautiful Queen, a smile back on her face...

Taking a deep breath, the white girl prepared herself, standing before her mistress, ready to give herself to her...

Gently yet swiftly, their lips pursed, before meeting together, the touching of lips officially marking the end of Serena’s old life, and the beginning of her new one...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to be a bit less serious with this chapter, but at the same time, I wanted to demonstrate the sort of life slaves often live in the village, and to give a backstory to Akinyi, how she came to be a slave there.
> 
> I hope people are enjoying this, I don’t get much feedback on my work, but 5 people have left Kudos so that’s something ^-^
> 
> (This chapter was edited to make it fit better with the rest of the story)


	7. The Wedding Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now married to Queen Iris, Serena must endure the thing most couples look forward to, but what she actively wished she could avoid... Their wedding night...

Serena held into the kiss, wondering if she was doing it right... She’d had experience with it in the past, so she knew just what to do, you had to purse your lips, you had to press in, you had to let the other take charge...

And as she kissed the lips of another woman, she imagined it was Satoshi... Yes, Satoshi, her wonderful Satoshi, back at last, kissing her, loving her...

The illusion was quickly broken as she opened her eyes again, the dark gaze of her new wife staring back at her, the kiss being broken by the Queen, satisfied that the union had been officially sealed...

The white slave was led by her black owner to the throne, Queen Iris sitting down first, before Serena was lifted by a guard, placed on the lap of her beautiful lover...

The pale teen sat up against Iris, feeling uneasy, but much safer than before... Here, with her wife, she was away from the guards, away from that horrible collar...

Iris clutched Serena tight, holding her to her bosom, almost like a fashion accessory, something to show off her wealth and power, a pretty white piece of property...

The Queen was silent as they were carried back along the path, Serena the same, not daring to risk feeling Iris’s wrath should she say something unbefitting of a slave...

The white teen’s jaw dropped as she came to see where they were headed... Before them was a massive hut, so large it could be considered a proper building, parts of it clearly made of stone...

It was a building of high quality and status, glorious twin statues of what looked to be male Pyroar guarding the stone steps, a lit torch in each mouth...

Serena could not take her gaze off of this sight, even as they came to a stop, the guards helping to pick Serena up and stand her on the ground, Queen Iris elegantly getting up herself...

Taking her slave’s hand once more, she led Serena up the stone steps, Akinyi following behind them, having walked the path herself, following her mistress closely...

The large doors to the building were opened by strong men, the inside of the palace massive, the roof high, the interior lit by fire torches, so many that the room glowed...

Serena felt calmed by the light, just like the lamp from her hotel, soft, comforting, and with added warmth... 

In the middle of this stunning room sat a large throne, the decorations on it numerous, a holy seat for what was clearly considered a holy woman...

But they did not venture to it then... Instead, Serena was lead along a small hallway to a large room, full of what appeared to be Queen Iris’s personal items, and a large, king sized bed, not too dissimilar from those Serena had seen in magazines, the ones from stately homes, large curtains obscuring the perimeter, a royal bed for a royal lady...

Iris led her slave into the room, Akinyi obediently shutting the door, leaving Serena alone with her new mistress, alone with the woman who now owned her...

*********************************************

Iris smiled at her wife lovingly, pulling aside the curtain on the bed, sitting down and beckoning the girl over...

Nervously, trying not to make eye contact, Serena shuffled over to the Queen, clearly on edge... She had felt safer outside, with the others... Now though, she was all alone with this woman... She did not know what could happen...

Iris eased Serena onto the bed, the bedding soft and comfortable, the slave wishing she could just lie down here right now... But that was not an option, she feared her wife would disapprove...

To try and lower the obvious tension, Iris spoke, her voice softer again...

“Oh Serena, my pretty Serena, this is such a wonderful day.... How are you feeling, my love?” Asked the Queen, blushing slightly, her hand gently rubbing Serena’s pale arm...

“I-I’m fine!” Serena stuttered out nervously, beginning to shake as her nerves got the better of her...

“My dear, please, relax... I forgive you for your earlier mistake, I understand now that you are a new slave, you are unrefined and have little knowledge of our ways... Please, do not fear, I shall not punish you unless you say or do something disobedient or rude...” Said Iris in an attempt to reassure her wife...

Serena still shook, but she was slightly calmed by this, glad the Queen was willing to give her some leeway...

“Is there anything you need? I can get Akinyi to get you what you need, water, food, ask for it and it will be yours my sweet...” The Queen said in offering, giving Serena a kiss on her cheek...

“I-if you’ve got any, I’d l-love a glass of water please... y-your Majesty....” Said the white slave, still nervous, stuttering and falling about her words...

Iris smiled, and called out for her slave girl...

“Akinyi!”

The black girl soon appeared, opening the door and bowing...

They conversed in their native tongue, Akinyi leaving for a moment and returning with a bowl of clear, fresh water, Serena guzzling it down the moment she received it...

“My my, you were very thirsty I see!” Iris said with a chuckle in her voice, Akinyi leaving with the bowl once it had been fully drunk...

“Yes, thank you, I needed that badly...” Serena replied, grateful towards her owner...

“Now that we have sorted that out, I would like to speak to you properly... I wish to know the tribe of which you originate, I would like to know if I am your first lover... Do not worry, I shall not punish you should you have had a husband or wife already, you could not help such things...” The Queen said with an attempt at reassurance, although it did little to reassure Serena... She would have to tell her about Satoshi... If she hid something from her, Iris would know...

“I-I do not come from a tribe, I come from a place called Kalos... a-and I have a boyfriend... Well... I had a... boyfriend... I...” Starting to well up, Serena could not go on, going silent as she fought the tears within her, pushing them down, pushing the sadness down...

Iris gently hugged her new possession, kissing her cheek once more, she did not wish for her wife to be sad...

“Poor Serena... It is ok... You are with me now, this Satoshi means nothing anymore, forget him... As your husband he clearly let you down, you belonged to him, yet when the men found you, you were alone, am I correct?” Iris asked, twirling Serena’s long hair with her dark fingers...

The slave felt a hint of anger building itself inside her, but she pushed it down, reminding herself what could happen should she mess up again...

“Y-yes, but Satoshi and I had only separated, we might have gotten back together....” The white girl replied with a hint of defiance, a small frown coming across the Queen’s face...

“My dear, he abandoned you, in a vulnerable place... Your Satoshi did not love you, you were his property, and he abandoned his property... Had those men not found you, you would have likely perished out there...” 

Iris kissed Serena’s cheek as the white slave sat on her own hands, fighting the urge to slap the ebony queen beside her...

“Besides, had you not been found by those men in particular, you wouldn’t have become mine, my little white cutie...” Iris cooed lovingly, giving her white property a hug and a kiss...

Serena instantly forgot her place as those words hit her, her fists clenching as she thrusted herself off the bed, standing beside Iris and glaring into her dark eyes!

“Those men treated me like shit, they nearly raped me, I would have been fine if those dirty shits hadn’t kidnapped me!!!” 

The frown on the Queen’s face soon turned into a disapproving scowl, Iris standing to confront her disobedient girl, slightly taller than Serena, her large black hair making her seem all the more bigger still...

“Slave, I would not say such things if I were you, my patience for those of your temperament is very short, and you should think it lucky I have been so lenient with you thus far...” Warned Iris, her words stern and angered...

Trying to compose herself, Serena shut her eyes, counting to ten in her head before attempting to continue...

“Your majesty, you have been most kind towards me, but I was not brought here of my own accord, my land is far from here, beyond the scope of yours, I wish to return there...”

Iris went into a tense silence, her fists clenching as she debated internally wether or not her slave deserved a black eye...

“If you would give me the honour, Queen Iris, I would like to be returned to where I was found and assisted to get back to my people...”

The Queen stared with an intense look of shock in her face, a slave was asking for her release, and not only not, it was the same day they had met!

Serena covered her face with her arms, expecting a harsh beating...

Iris stared, her lips quivering...

And then, with no warning, she began to laugh, laughing hysterically, nearly cackling as she fell onto the bed, her legs kicking into the air as she became giddy with laughter, stuck in hysterics as Serena stood there in shocked bemusement...

The queen eventually managed to cease her chuckling, rubbing tears from her eyes as the last few giggles died down...

“Oh my Serena, you are such a silly little thing... I doubt you were being serious, I normally would kill a slave for asking such a thing like that... But if you were, then I can tell you that there is no way I will ever so much as grant you freedom, the fact that a white girl of all people decided to beg for that is just-“

Iris found herself unable to finish her sentence as she broke out into laughter once more, taking another minute to compose herself...

But Serena was now very confused, and somewhat angry, her request was very simple, why could she not honour it!?

“Why does it matter that I’m a white girl? If a girl like Akinyi asked you, it would have been no different!” Exclaimed the unusually bold Serena...

Iris’s temperament changed slightly, there was a hint of seriousness in her voice again...

“Now listen girl, it was funny at first, but it’s starting to get old now... For one, Akinyi would never ask such a thing, she would have nowhere to go without me, other than becoming another slave.. And secondly, Akinyi is black, her request would be at least considered if she had valid reasons to deserve freedom...”

Serena had had enough, she needed to know what this obsession with her race was...

“So? She’s black, I’m white, we’re all peop-“

The slave fell to the floor as Iris finally lost her temper, giving her wife another backhanded slap as she spoke words that were both rude and untrue...

“You clearly have not learnt when to hold your tongue! You speak such disgusting things Serena, your kind are all the same, convinced they deserve to sit beside us blacks as equals... It makes me sick, you truly believe you’re the same as black woman?”

Holding her cheek, her defiance absolute, Serena glared at her mistress, her other fist clenched and ready...

“Yes, I believe I am the same! We both feel, and learn, and love, we’re both people! All that is different is the colour of our skin, and the ways of our cultures, other than that we are alike!” The white slave shouted in anger to her black owner, the Queen shocked that a slave was speaking to her with such boldness...

Losing control of her temper, Iris grabbed Serena, shoving her against the wall, a loud thud indicating how solid the thing Serena slammed into was...

The pale girl gritted her teeth in rage, gripping onto Iris’s wrists as they held her against the wall, both girls fighting against each other...

“Listen to me you stuck up, useless palmskin!! You belong to me, you are always going to belong to me, and I will not have my slave speaking such untruths and showing such defiance in my home!!!!!!”

The Queen, in her anger threw the girl aside, Serena landing roughly onto the bed, the wind knocked from her momentarily....

Iris fumbled around for something as Serena started to get back up, a harsh punch in the back from her Queen sending her hurtling back onto the bed, Serena groaning in pain...

The white slave once more attempted to rise, but was easily pushed back down by Iris as she put her weight onto her back, Serena wincing at the pain it caused...

Feeling something rubbing her thigh, something hard, Serena tried to turn and look, only to be shoved back down, Iris pulling her hair back, her head forced next to the black girl’s as she spoke through clenched teeth...

“I offered you luxury, I offered you a home, I offered you love, and you’ve thrown it back in my face!!! Many slaves would kill just to get to where you are now, yet you continue to defy my will, you continue to claim that your filthy pale people stand as high as mine!!!”

Serena stared back with clenched teeth of her own, her face red with anger, a fire burning within the teen that she hadn’t had before...

“I will give you one last chance to apologise and renounce your words, or I’ll make you regret having ever said such vile things!” Spat the Queen, her voice incredibly harsh, her offer the only way Serena could avoid a worse punishment...

But the white slave was filled with pure unbridled rage... Her judgement clouded by anger, she made a terrible, stupid mistake!

Bending her head back as far as it could go, Serena’s eyes pierced harshly into her owner’s as she delivered the line that would begin her nightmare...

“Fuck you!!!!!”

Iris beat Serena harshly, hard blows from her fists colliding with the slave’s white skin, bruising the girl all over, making her yelp in pain as her body became assaulted!

Then, to make matters all the more worse, the hard object returned, poking against Serena’s rear, her blue eyes widening as she realised just what Iris was about to do to her...

*********************************************

Akinyi sprinted towards Queen Iris’s quarters as a piercing scream rocked through the palace, the villagers outside looking towards the building in concern as they too heard the unmistakable sound of fear and pain...

Her bare feet padding loudly on the wooden floor of the hallway, Akinyi burst into the room, covering her mouth in shock as she saw what was happening...

Serena lay pinned to the bed, her body convulsing as a scream erupted from the white slave, her body battered and bruised!

Iris lay on top of her, her face the symbol of rage, a wooden strap on tied tightly to her waist, the end of which had been forced into the pale girl’s ass, the ring of her hole stretched far more than it had been used, the poor girl must’ve been suffering!

In panic, Akinyi ran to her mistress, begging in her tongue for Iris to stop, to stop hurting Serena, trying in desperation to pull her off of the struggling girl...

But Iris was not gonna let Akinyi stop her now, the white bitch had this coming!

She turned to her black slave and delivered a harsh slap, screaming at her slave to leave, this was her business!

Knowing she could not stop this, Akinyi swiftly left the room and shut the door, clutching her cheek, this was the first time Iris had ever struck her...

The Queen turned her attention back to Serena, who was gripping the bedsheets in an attempt to pull herself off of the strap on, to get away from the pain...

Iris was having none of it... Gripping her slave’s hips, the white girl turning her head and shaking it back and forth, the black Queen thrust forward, Serena throwing her head back in agony as more pain wrecked through her feeble body!

This was only agitated as Iris moved back, the strap on coming out slightly, before thrusting back in, an angry moan from the ebony queen showing Serena that her owner was enjoying this, she wanted to hurt her!

Serena soon gave up her struggles as her body began to tire, her screams the only indicator of her pain as Iris began to hump the girl, the slave in intense pain...

The pale teen sobbed and screamed as Iris began humping her at full pelt, the slave crushed by her wife’s weight as she forced Serena deeper into the bed, her hips moving like a well oiled steam engine, moments from climax...

Serena let out a squeaky scream as she felt her muscles contract, an involuntary orgasm overtaking her worn out form, the pleasure rippling through her helping to dull the pain, even as the experience shattered the very insides of her soul...

Iris joined her lover in orgasm as her body convulsed, the Queen almost falling over as she reached her climax, both wives consummating the marriage...

*********************************************

Serena lay silent, her eyes staring at nothing, as her wife hopped into the bed beside her, kissing her bruised cheek and spooning her lover...

“Oh, Serena that was so wonderful...” Exclaimed Iris, bathing in post orgasmic bliss...

The white slave did nothing, said nothing... Her stare was empty, her lips still, her mind swarming with thoughts...

Iris leaned over and kissed Serena on the lips, smiling down at her slave wife, her beautiful possession....

“What’s wrong my dear, you seem awfully quiet...” Asked the Queen with a gentle air to her voice, a complete contrast to how she had been just minutes beforehand...

Serena lay there silently, her lips quivering as she tried to say something...

And then, after much hesitation, she let a few words slip from her pale mouth...

“Y-you raped me...”

Iris let out a tiny giggle, giving her slave a kiss on the forehead... She could see why Serena was confused...

“No no sweetie, I did not rape you... You were being rude and disobedient, I had to punish you somehow... And we got something beautiful out of that, we made love for the first time, we shared our bodies...” Said Iris with a blush, her hand coming down to pet Serena’s exotic hair, so long and bright...

“B-but... You... I didn’t w-want-“

Iris gently placed a finger against Serena’s lips to silence her, controlling the teen further...

“Shhh... Hush now... You did want that Serena, you needed that, but you did not know it... After all, did it not feel good at the end? Did you not feel the electricity only a black woman can give rushing through you?”

Serena mumbled, thinking it over, trying to think of a rebuttal, her mind too drained to find one, to fight back...

“Y-yes...”

Iris snuggled into her wife lovingly when she heard that, kissing her cheek, wrapping her legs around hers as they lay there, two girls who have just made sweet love to each other...

“We can lay here for a while dear, and then I’ll get Akinyi to make us something to eat, you must be starving...”

Her stomach rumbling at the mere mention of food, Serena couldn’t help but nod, hoping it will come soon... She felt incredibly conflicted laying here, being treated so lovingly after being so harshly punished, it was messing with her head, her brain developing feelings of comfort around her captor...

“But for now, let us relax... We have each other now, and I promise you, you will always have me...” Iris said warmly to Serena, her bushy hair cushioning the white’s head as they both began to drift off into a deep slumber...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So with this chapter, I decided to explore the racism within the tribe a little deeper, showing Iris dismissing Serena not only because of her status, but also because of the colour of her skin.
> 
> I’m also sowing the seeds of Stockholm Syndrome here, making Serena conflicted by what happens to her. I wanted to show that Iris was both kind, but also cruel, and that after growing up in that sort of environment, with so much power, she knows how to manipulate people.
> 
> (This chapter was rewritten slightly to better fit the latter chapters)


	8. The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a tough night in her new home, Serena the white slave faces another dawn, next to the woman who now owned her...

_Serena looked around herself, trapped in the middle of a dark, foggy jungle..._

_She was naked and bruised, all alone in this place, the girl flinging her head back and forth as she searched for somebody to help her, hoping not to come across something that would rather harm her..._

_Then, through the shaking of the trees, a faint shout reached the girl’s ears...._

_“Serena!”_

_She recognised it, it was unmistakable, it was Satoshi!_

_“Satoshi! Satoshi where are you! Satoshi!?” Serena yelled in panic, rushing through the woods as she tried to find her beloved Satoshi, needing his comfort, his safety..._

_The voice continued to call out, louder this time, closer, Serena could see a faint silhouette, his cap covering his jet black hair, Pikachu sitting on his shoulder, emitting a faint electrical glow..._

_But as she tried to reach them, she found herself slowing down, the undergrowth growing thick...._

_And it really was growing, vines beginning to wrap around her, holding her, stopping her in her path as she tried desperately to reach her salvation..._

_“Satoshi!!!!! Satoshi!!!!” Screamed Serena, her cries being cut short as the vines began to wrap around her, strangling her, the poor girl feeling crushed by the weight of the vegetation as it began to smother her, growing thicker and thicker and thicker, until-_

*********************************************

Serena sprung up, her hands clutching the bedcovers, covered in sweat, her eyes wide, her breathing rapid....

“Satoshi... Satoshi...” She mumbled under heavy breath, looking around the room, realising where she was, her eyes slowly turning to gaze down at the sleeping Queen, her sudden rising having seemingly not disturbed the black girl...

Serena calmed herself, her breathing returning to normal, wiping the sweat from her forehead as the reality of the situation came back to her... She was a slave, she was owned by a Queen, it was not entirely comforting, but at least she was somewhere indoors, and not alone...

Laying back, Serena turned to look at the Queen, to see if she had awoken....

And was instead faced with a strange, grey-green face, thick tusks coming from the mouth, this sudden intruder opening said mouth to speak as Serena stared in stunned silence!

“Aaxxxew!!”

Iris sat up from her slumber as Serena’s screams awoke her, the white girl clutching the covers as the creature stared at her in scared confusion, not sure who this person is or why she was there...

Thinking fast, Iris held Serena, wrapping her arms around the frightened slave to try and calm her down...

“Serena, Serena it is ok, it is not going to hurt you, it is mine, calm down sweetie, it is ok...” Said the Queen, attempting to reassure her frightened property...

Serena stopped panicking, but still sat shoved up against the back of the bed, anxious, yet thinking it stupid that she had been so easily scared by this new Pokemon...

“Serena, I’d like you to meet Axew, he’s my beloved pet...” Said Iris with a smile, petting her Pokemon, who proceeded to beam happily...

“Axew axew!” Uttered Axew as his owner pet him, clearly a very docile creature...

Seeing that he was not a threat, Serena held out her pale hand, Axew himself now seeming worried after her prior reaction...

“Hey, it’s ok little one, I’m sorry if I scared you... I’ve just been kinda on edge lately...” Serena said softly, to show she wasn’t gonna harm him either...

He did not seem to understand her words fully, but he smiled, letting the white girl pet him gently, the Pokemon’s exterior rough yet smooth, like the outside of an unripe pear...

“Aww, you’re such a lovely little guy...” Serena cooed, Axew enjoying the new attention from this strange woman...

Iris was glad to see the two were getting along... She knew not what Pokemon, if any, the white’s had seen, and was worried her new slave would find the creature too unusual...

“Long ago, whilst father was still alive, men found a strange egg not too far from where you were discovered... The men brought it to my village, gave it to my father, and waited for it to hatch... Soon, the egg hatched, but father was displeased, it was not as powerful as he had hoped such a rare egg would be... Father wished to get rid of it, but I fell in love with my Axew, and I begged father to keep him...” Iris said to Serena, giving her a brief story of how they met...

“And now, he is my friend, and he often goes everywhere with me... I kept him here at the palace for the wedding though, I did not wish for him to interrupt the proceedings...”

Iris spoke to Axew next in her language, her voice cutesy, like how most people talked to Pokemon they loved, Serena smiling at the sight, unused to seeing the Queen be so gentle...

“So, has he had many battles?” Asked Serena, a fairly standard Pokemon question...

Iris turned to her slave, clearly confused...

“Battles? What ever do you mean?”

Surprised by Iris’s clear lack of understanding, Serena clarified...

“Well, Axew is a Pokemon, and most Pokemon have at least a few battles, unless their owners aren’t the fighting type...”

The Queen blinked, dumbfounded...

“Fight? With who?”

“Well, with other Pokemon of course...” Serena replied, herself becoming confused, hadn’t Iris met any Pokemon trainers before...

Iris clutched her Axew to her chest, the green Pokemon disappearing into her snug cleavage, her boobs cushioning him protectively...

“My dear girl, I am a queen, I do not engage in fighting animals, and neither do most of us... Only men of ill repute partake in savagery of that nature... I myself do not endorse such barbaric practices...” Iris replied with a hint of disgust in her voice, she was above such things...

“No, your majesty, you don’t understand, they want to fight...” Serena explained, hoping the Queen could understand how the process worked, it wasn’t cruel...

“They want to fight? They are given a choice then? They can join or leave as they please?” Asked Iris, one eyebrow raised...

“W-well, no, we keep them in these sorta, little ball things... a-and then we call them out, and call them back when they win... o-or faint...” Said the white slave, looking down as she began to realise how bad that sounded...

“So, they are fought until they either win, or can’t go on, correct?” Asked the Queen, her eyebrow still raised, unconvinced the practice of which Serena spoke was in any way civilised...

“Well... We decide when they go back in... So, if they get too hurt, we call them back...”

Iris was unimpressed with Serena’s explanation, letting her know as much...

“Serena, this practice of your people is extremely primitive, making Pokemon fight is uncalled for unless in self defence, and even then, I would rather come to harm than let anything happen to my little Axew...” Iris cooed, the Pokemon popping its head out from between her breasts at the sound of his name...

The Queen waved and chuckled at her small friend, patting his head before turning to Serena...

“I suppose next you will tell me money changes hands during these fights, but it’s alright because you don’t always let them faint... Am I correct in this assumption?” Iris said, speaking almost mockingly at the girl...

“I... uh.... look, just forget it ok!” Serena blurted out in defeat, the Queen unable to help herself from letting out another chuckle...

But she wasn’t angry at Serena... Axew crawling up into her bushy hair, she hugged the white girl, giving her a gentle kiss on her reddened cheek...

“It is alright Serena, I understand that in your culture, such practices must be considered usual, it is not your fault, you cannot help such things my dear...”

Serena didn’t say anything back, knowing it would be of little use... She had already made herself look like a savage in Iris’s eyes, she did not want to make herself look mad by defending it...

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, The Queen staring at it with a smile, saying something Serena couldn’t understand...

Akinyi came in, bowing before the Queen, Iris silencing her as she began to speak...

“I would prefer if you would speak English in front of my Serena, the poor thing seems most confused...” Requested Iris, Serena feeling slightly unhappy about her wife talking of her in that manner, like a puppy who doesn’t know how to bark...

“Of course, your majesty, my apologies.... I have come to ask your majesty and Serena what they would like for their breakfast, the cooks are about to begin...” Akinyi told her mistress, standing rather submissively in the doorway, her hands clasped behind her back...

“Oh, well of course... Hmm... Well, I could really go for some t’ibisi siga ina dabo.... What about you sweetie?” Iris asked Serena, the white girl having no clue just what the food was...

“Ummm... I’ll have that, I guess? The siga in a dabo thing...”

Iris chuckled at her white slave’s words, ruffling her brown hair, turning back to Akinyi...

“She’s such a funny little thing, I love her... Don’t you worry Serena, it tastes delicious, you will not regret trying it...” Iris said reassuringly, a small smile coming across Serena’s face... If it was good enough for a Queen, it was good enough for a slave...

“Will there be anything else, your majesty?” Akinyi asked once she was sure Iris had finished speaking, waiting her turn, just as she had been trained...

“No Akinyi, that will do... Oh, actually, could we have a buna for us both, we need something refreshing after last night...” Iris said with a wink, Serena looking down a little sadly as memories of the night prior came back to her, wishing her owner hadn’t mentioned it...

Akinyi nodded, shooting Serena a brief look of concern before shutting the door, Iris noticing her slave’s sudden change in mood...

“Serena, is everything alright? You seem sad...”

Serena stared solemnly down at the bed, her gaze unbroken...

“Everything.. is f-fine...” She lied, knowing what her lover was capable of...

Iris rubbed her slave’s back, placing the white’s head against her soft bosom, stroking her brunette hair, showing Serena genuine affection...

“I can tell something is wrong, my love, please do not hide it... I promise I will not beat you, no matter what it is...”

Serena sighed, taking a big risk, and looked up at her mistress...

“What happened last night really frightened me... You hurt me, you made me feel pain, you made me feel scared...” Admitted Serena, her body starting to tremble in anticipation of a swift beating...

Giving a concerned, somewhat sad smile, Iris hugged her closer, taking a deep breath...

“Serena... I do feel some guilt over yesterday’s actions... You had embarrassed me in front of my subjects, delayed our wedding, and then you were arguing with me in my bedroom... I just felt so stressed, and shocked, I lost my temper... I’m black, I should have been the better woman yesterday, yet I stooped to your level... I rarely say this Serena... But I’m sorry...” The Queen said in apology, Serena trying her best to ignore the quite obvious racism sprinkled in as she gave her reply...

“It’s just... You didn’t seem to understand just what happened to me to get me here, that’s one of the reasons I became angry...” 

Iris softened when she heard this, her hand stroking the length of Serena’s curls...

“It’s alright Serena... Tell me... I will not judge you on how you perceive it...”

Hesitating for a moment, Serena spoke, and it was obvious to Iris how hard she was trying to keep from crying...

“Me and Satoshi, well, we had both had an argument at our hotel, th-that’s a building where people stay when they’re visiting a different land... S-so anyway, he decided to leave and return to Kalos, and I was gonna leave the next day, I was very upset as you can imagine...”

Iris nodded, she could understand that... Serena continued...

“I went outside just to clear my mind, to the edge of the forest and just stared out, it’s... Very beautiful, your land, it looks so much prettier than mine....”

The black Queen smiled as she listened, she could sense the brief flutter of happiness in Serena’s words...

“B-but then, when I went to turn, m-my foot got caught on a tree root or something... I fell over, and I tried to get up, but it was so hard, and then when I finally managed to I-“

Serena hesitated as tears threatened to burst from her eyes, Iris rubbing her back patiently until the girl felt able to continue...

“I slipped... I fell a long way, well, rolled, it was down a tall hill, the hotel was at the top, I didn’t come to a stop until I reached the bottom... By that point, I was quite far from where I’d fallen, and given my state I was having trouble figuring out what I was gonna do... But I did eventually come up with a plan, I would slowly hike up the hill, getting back where I came from... It would’ve been hard, but I could have made it, or at least gotten close enough to get somebody to help me...”

The Queen let her finish, before speaking, just to ask one small thing...

“And this hill, did you manage to climb it at all...”

Serena’s face went pale, the blood draining from it...

“I-I never got the chance...”

Iris sat up, hugging Serena closer, she could sense something was deeply upsetting her now, more than before...

“Th-they just came out of nowhere, two of them, they just came out of nowhere and grabbed me!” Exclaimed the emotional slave, fighting the tears harder than ever before...”

The Queen, understanding but curious, gently asked her slave a further question...

“Who, who grabbed you?”

“Men...” Serena said with a sniffle... “Black men, your men I presume... They grabbed me, gagged me, slapped me, punched me, and tied my wrists together... Then, they took me back to... The others...”

Serena went deathly silent, Iris knew something worse was to come...

“They were so much worse Iris, s-so much worse... They had a knife, a-and they cut off all my clothes, my dress, my beautiful dress, they just took it off and I never saw it again!” Blurred Serena tearily, the first drops of sorrow dripping past her cheeks, Iris wiping them softly away with her silk handkerchief...

“They left me naked, naked like this, I felt so fucking scared!” Serena cried out, covering her bare chest, reminded that this was not how it used to be...

“And then they next day, they kept abusing me, one of them sat on me, threatened me with their knives, held it to my throat and tried to carry me away from the others, it was so scary, and the worst part was I didn’t know why they were treating me this way!!!” Shouted Serena as she suddenly burst into full on sobs, burying her face into Iris’s chest, the Queen trying hard to make her slave feel secure, putting blankets around Serena to help ...

“A-a-a-and then, th-they made me walk so far, so far, my feet turned red cos they wouldn’t let me stop!” 

Serena heaved in that way sobbing people do, the Queen giving her small kisses on her forehead to try and comfort her...

“And after all that, I ended up in this hellhole, where they led me around like an animal on a leash, I wasn’t even allowed to cover myself, I had to let everyone stare at me, I felt so fucking ashamed and miserable and absolutely nobody would tell me why I was here, I was just there for ages and then when you came by, and you could actually speak English, I felt so panicked by everything that I went too far and I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m so-o-ry!!!!!” Cried the white girl, poor Serena too emotional to go on, Iris feeling a pang of guilt for her prior actions...

“Serena, I... I’m so sorry... I had no idea they treated you that way, they just... Gave you to me... I thought they’d at least treated you with some basic dignity...”

Serena managed to stare up at her wife, despite the waterfalls in her eyes, a gaze of utter sorrow meeting the ebony Queen...

“Wh-wh-wh-wh-what did you think they were gonna do!? They, they they they they they didn’t care, they didn’t care Iris! I was... just a thing... an item... Oh god!!” Exclaimed Serena as waves of emotion slammed into her, finally able to fully speak about what had happened to someone, all her pain overflowing at once...

“Well... I........... I didn’t... think about it.... I just didn’t think about how these things happened.... I’m so sorry Serena!” Answered Iris, a few tears appearing in her own eyes, the full gravity of her slave’s situation finally hitting her...

“If.... If if if... you had been s-sorry... You wouldn’t have raped me...” Serena struggled out the words, speaking each syllable taking an effort of Herculean magnitude, feeling just as shit as she had the night Satoshi left, maybe even more so...

Iris fought back her own tears, it was unbefitting of a Queen to cry, father had told her as much, you must be silent and solemn in the face of tragedy and sorrow, you must be like the men, you must be like him...

“I... I didn’t know Serena... I didn’t know... T-to me, you were ruining my big day, I-I’d been waiting for that day for years... If I had known what you had been through, I would have never laid a finger on you... I just didn’t know...”

Serena couldn’t handle it anymore, she just couldn’t, it was all too much, too much, she couldn’t do this!

“I WANNA GO HOOOOOME!!!!! AAAAAAH!!! I wanna go ho-o-ome!!!! AAAAAAAHHHH!!!” Serena screamed in emotional agony, Iris feeling like she wanted to bury herself within herself and never come out, this was hard for her to handle...

“Sweetie, I can’t, I can’t l-“

“NO PLEASE YOU HAVE TO LET ME GO, I CAN’T BE HERE, I JUST WANNA GO BACK HOME!!!!” Interrupted the white slave, screaming out her throat as her deepest need becomes her greatest one...

“I can’t! Oh sweetie I would if I could, trust me! But you were found a very long way away, the hunters who took you had to pass through enemy land, you were lucky to reach here at all! There is nothing I can do to send you back, and even if I could, once the white’s find out of our world, of what we did to you, they would become enraged, they would try to kill us Serena! I cannot put my people in that sort of danger, or put you in that sort of danger...”

Iris gently cupped Serena’s chin, turning the sobbing teen to face her, knowing she had to be direct...

“I do not want anything bad to happen to you, any more than has already happened, and sending you back out there would be too dangerous... There are tribes worse than ours, tribes that would treat you like dirt for the rest of your life, tribes that would kill you.... But you are here now, and you are safe, and I promise no man will ever beat you again... You are my wife Serena... No harm will come to you ...”

Serena wrapped her desperate arms around her wife, sobbing, screaming, shouting and hollering like a child, the young woman losing all control...

She beat the bedcovers as Iris held her supportively, beating them as hard as she had been beaten, kicking the bed, Axew popping his head out in concern as he watched this strange woman fighting against the blankets...

Slowly, he crawled from Iris’s head, down her arm, and onto the sobbing slave, trying to poke his head in front of her face, to see what was wrong...

“Axew! Xew xew xew xew...” Said the Pokemon as the white girl began to run out of tears and energy... She had not eaten for two days... She had been stressing her body... She couldn’t keep it up...

Sadly, softly, she fell silent, small sniffles the only sign she was still awake, her face red and soaked with tears, Iris’s dark skin glistening from where Serena had cried onto her owner...

Axew continued to try and get to her, rubbing his tusk gently against her head, Serena turning to face him, to see what was happening...

“H-hey...” Serena croaked out, her throat sore, her voice tiny and crackled, like an old broken music box, overplayed until it can only force out a few rusty notes...

“Axew axew!?” Exclaimed the green creature, nuzzling her face, seemingly asking her what was wrong, concerned for this lady, she seemed nice...

Serena smiled a little, like a parent might when a child found them crying, composing herself a tiny bit...

“I-it’s ok Axew... I’m ok... I just got a little sad, that’s all...”

He nuzzled up against her pale neck, cuddling into her soft skin, Serena feeling comforted by Iris’s small companion...

Queen Iris looked down at her two possessions as one tended to the other, wanting to speak but finding it almost as hard as Serena, as if all the emotion had been drained, washed away by the white girl’s tears....

“Th-that’s the good thing about having an Axew... They always know when you‘re sad...” Said Iris with a slight croak to her own voice, knowing she should say something, if only to make Serena feel a bit better, even if it doesn’t full lighten the mood...

Serena gave a small nod, the tiny creature starting to go to sleep against the girl...

“Yeah... H-he’s a r-real cutie isn’t he...” Serena managed to get those words out, stopping as fresh tears streamed down her face to replenish the old, a more silent version of her earlier breakdown...

All three of them lay there for a while, the green Pokemon snoring softly as he went to sleep, the tiny thing nice and comfy...

Slowly breaking the silence, Serena spoke, her voice still croaky, but her words easier to get out...

“I know you still did what you did, I-Iris... But... I forgive you... You were emotional, and I imagine you’re used to people letting you do whatever you want... The fact you took the chance to listen to me, to apologise... It shows me there’s good in you...”

Iris lay still and silent for a while longer, Serena almost wondering if she was asleep, but then she spoke, her voice incredibly soft, like a tiger who became a tiny kitten, all the power of the queen’s tone diminished...

“I didn’t used to do things like that... I used to be like you, back when I was a child... I couldn’t understand why some of us were slaves, and some of us were not, it seemed unfair... But as I got older, I just got used to it... I started to see them less and less like people, especially the white’s... Even now, even after all this, your people seem like savages to me... But I misjudged them... If they are like you, then I know they do feel, just like a black... Even if I can’t change how I myself feel, I can at least understand that they’re not quite as primitive as father led me to believe....”

The silence would almost be awkward if both women weren’t so empty in that moment... Their energy levels miserably low... 

Being careful to move Axew so as not to wake him, Serena sat up, laying herself back against her wife, letting the black woman hold her again...

“Iris, in my culture, we do not have slaves at all... We did, a long, long time ago, but we have gotten better since then, we have come so far, and things are getting better for your kind...”

Iris sat up a little, looking down at Serena, curious despite her exhaustion...

“There are others of my kind in your land?”

The slave nodded slowly, looking down as if ashamed...

“We do not treat them as well as we treat ourselves though... My family never did... They used to say horrible things about them... They still do... The only difference is, they don’t say it in public... You are right about some things, white people aren’t entirely perfect either... But we’re not savages... I’m not judging you for thinking that, I just want you to understand...”

Iris nodded as she began to tear up slightly herself, she’d never spoken on a human level with a white before...

“It’s ok, Serena... It’s ok...”

A knock on the door halted the conversation, Iris clearing her throat, knowing who it must be...

“Your majesty, your food is ready, shall I come in?” Asked Akinyi, unaware of the emotional air within...

But Iris knew food and drink would do them both good right now... They needed to recharge, and Serena in particular needed to have something to eat...

“Come in..” Said the Queen, managing to regain a semblance of her usual tone, her voice barely faltering...

Akinyi came in, speaking as she entered...

“The chefs apologise for the delay, one of the slaves w-“

She fell silent as she saw the dried tears on both their faces, Akinyi unsure exactly what had happened, knowing only that both girls had clearly been crying...

“Tell them they are forgiven Akinyi, and leave the food here...” Iris said with a small smile, the black slave understanding what her mistress meant, the Queen wished to be alone with her slave for now...

Akinyi gave Iris the food, and two cups of something, before leaving, shutting the door quietly as she went...

Sitting herself up properly, Serena took the plate offered to her by the Queen, some sort of fried meat, cut up into squares, with an unusual bread, a corny scent to it...

Serena wanted badly to eat, but as she searched for cutlery, she quickly realised there was none...

“Wait, how am I meant to eat this?” Serena asked the Queen, who chuckled a little, white’s could be so unknowledgeable about the simplest of things...

Taking the bread, which was thin yet held together, Iris tore off a piece, picking up some of the meat using the bread and popping both into her mouth...

Understanding now, Serena did the same, finding it very convenient... After all, the thing you used to eat was itself edible, that must save on washing up at least!

And the flavour, oh the flavour was exquisite! Serena knew not what Pokemon this was (and indeed, she did not want to remember that it had once been such), but it was unlike any the white girl had eaten before, even when she had that meat from the hunter’s fire...

The meat here had a subtler flavour, oily and greasy, but not excessively so, the liquid keeping itself within the meat, the bread remaining dry from its juices...

The bread was itself rather dry, but mixed with the meat, and popped into the mouth, it quickly softened, the flavour fairly simple, made from some corn or other crop, certainly not wheat...

Serena ate this dish fast, grateful to have this food at all, Iris noticing her hunger and stopping her own meal to enquire the slave girl...

“Serena, when did you last eat? You seem starved!”

The pale teen did not even stop to reply, speaking with a full mouth, incredibly uncouth...

“Nowt forw two dayws...” Replied the hungry woman as she feasted, her food stuffed mouth making her words almost muffled, Iris surprised her men had kept her without food on their wedding day...

“I’m sorry my dear, I had no idea... Please, if ever you are hungry, you have only to ask, and you will receive whatever food you wish...” Iris told Serena, who was busy enjoying her meal...

“Thawnk youw...” 

Iris couldn’t help but smile, Serena looked so cute when she ate, she certainly seemed to enjoy the food... It was probably better than what the white girl’s kind ate anyway, at least from what she had heard over the years...

Once they had both finished, Iris handed her the cup, a strong, coffee like smell emanating from it, the beverage cold to combat the heat of the jungle...

“Here Serena, drink this, it will help you feel much better...” Said Iris, noticing that Serena still seemed worn out, despite the hefty meal now in her stomach...

The slave took it silently, knowing she needed no words, and took a sip, a strong yet soft flavour hitting her tongue, like a mix between a hot chocolate and a cappuccino, sweet and bitter at the same time...

As she drank up, Iris’s Axew having woken and crawled from her hair, Serena felt a sense of overwhelming calm come over her, like her worries had just been swept away, a feeling that her horrific ordeal was finally owner...

And sitting there, with her wife beside her, and their pet chowing down on leftover bread, Serena had to admit, she could certainly get used to this with time...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was an emotional one for me. During the section where Serena recounts her experience to Iris, I legitimately did feel quite emotional about it all.
> 
> And I know at first glance this story seems like a very standard piece of erotica, but deep down I did wanna explore what being a slave would be like realistically, and what the events of the previous chapters would do to somebody like Serena.
> 
> I do hope people are enjoying this. I haven’t really gotten any feedback so far. Granted, I have been doing an average of 1 chapter a day, but I still wish I knew if people were enjoying it.
> 
> I have gotten one comment asking about something that happened in the story though, and if any of you have questions about the story, or just things you wanna say, please do leave a comment <3
> 
> Also, you may notice a slowdown on submissions from now on, I may be getting more busy over the next week. Rest assured though, I am not stopping this roleplay until I feel it has reached its end.
> 
> Even then, as you may have noticed, I have labelled this as part of a series. I have many future stories planned that tie into this one, and I look forward to writing them one day :)
> 
> Also I hope people like the emotional fluff I’ve started to add in. I love cute moments, and bringing in Axew really helped to make things a bit more happy 😊 
> 
> I was actually debating adding him at all as I wasn’t sure how it would work, but I’m glad I have now.
> 
> Anyway, sorry for rambling :P


	9. Listen and Learn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her mistress now having shown her soft side, Serena hopes it stays that way, especially as they begin their first forage out of the safety of her bedroom...

The door to the royal bedroom opened with a slight creak, the smooth, tanned leg of the Queen breaking through the doorway, adorned with gold anklets that shined in the torch light...

Stepping out of her room, the white slave followed behind Iris, keeping close to her mistress, knowing she could protect her in these still unfamiliar surroundings...

Serena smiled as she saw the head of Iris’s loyal Pokemon poke out briefly from her dark hair, the creature soon returning itself to the Queen’s warm Afro...

The white girl hadn’t taken much time to really look at her wife, at her features... Iris was quite tall, taller even than Serena, despite most of the locals being around the pale teen’s height... She was also slightly lighter than the others, though not remarkably so, more a side effect of her rich way of life than of any other reason... Compared to the Queen though, Serena was still white as milk....

Iris took Serena’s hand and held it gently as they walked through the hallway, coming into the throne room, two people waiting there for them...

He was black like the others, dressed in a slightly thicker loincloth than most villagers, the quality closer to the Queen’s, as opposed to the cheap fabric people like Akinyi wore...

The man was of an average height, very slightly taller than Serena, but only by mere inches... The stranger was also much older than either of them, looking to be in his mid 40’s, a few grey hairs teasing themselves from his head...

Beside him stood a black woman, somewhere in her early thirties, the tattoo on her thigh letting Serena know without words that they shared the same status, albeit slightly a-skewed by the nature of the white girl’s owner...

The black slave held something in her hand, what looked to be some sort of thin wooden slab, with a pulp like paper stretched tightly over it... She held a writing tool too, a stick of what looked to be charcoal, sharpened to a fine point...

The man spoke to Serena’s mistress in the native tongue, the white girl feeling frustrated that she couldn’t understand them, it made her only more dependant on Iris...

Breaking the conversation, he looked Serena up and down, turning to the black girl and ordering her to write something, the slave obeying and jutting his words down on the slab...

Asking the Queen a question, Iris replied with Serena’s name and “Kalos”, the white slave moving closer to her mistress as she began to grow worried...

Iris noticed, ruffling Serena’s hair cutely and raising her hand to silence the man, she needed a moment with her slave girl...

“Serena, it is ok, this man is just here to register you... You arrived so recently, we didn’t get the chance before... But don’t worry, he will not touch you, he wishes only to write down your details...” Explained the Queen, a look of shock coming over Serena’s face...

“B-but, in the bedroom, you said you’d let me go if you could... Why are you letting him register me as a slave when you know I don’t wanna be one!?” Serena exclaimed, the Queen frowning in annoyance as she proceeded to explain further...

“Serena, I know I said those words, but my point still stands, you are here now and you belong to me... If I do not register, I have no proof of ownership, no way of helping you if something were to happen!”

She stroked the white girl’s cheek, Serena softening as she looked down in embarrassment, the Queen must need to register her regardless of how her majesty felt, to protect her, it made sense now, she felt like an idiot...

“I-I’m sorry... I just thought... Yknow...”

Iris kissed Serena softly on her pale forehead, the slave did not need to apologise to her, she understood...

“It’s ok Serena, you did not know, you are forgiven...” Said the Queen with a smile, turning back to the man as they resumed their conversation...

The white slave felt a little uneasy as she noticed the man approaching her directly, his girl following behind...

The dark girl had something else with her now, a strange stick that had been laying on the floor, polished, with marks throughout it...

Coming uncomfortably close to the white teen, she placed one end of the stick on the floor, holding it up alongside Serena for her master to see, the man staring closely before nodding, telling the black slave something else to write down...

Serena heard herself let out a small whimper of fear as the man came especially close, staring right into the girl’s eye, the Queen holding her slave’s shoulder in support, her touch letting Serena know everything was gonna be ok...

He finished his inspection, his girl jotting down the last few details before he bowed and took his leave, Serena now officially recorded as one of Iris’s slaves...

Serena turned to her mistress as the man and the girl left, her curiosity driving her crazy...

“So... What are we gonna do today? I’m just asking because... Well... I know nothing about this place, other than what I’ve already seen...” Serena asked the Queen, her mistress pleased her slave was eager to know their schedule...

“I plan to show you around the palace today, my love... Akinyi usually hosts tours... But I want to be the one to do it, you’re my wife... I want you to know about our glorious history here...”

Glad that there weren’t any more strange rituals to endure, Serena gave a small smile, the Queen putting her arm around her as they resumed their walk, Iris leading her into another room...

Serena’s eyes gazed around as she encountered what looked to be a library, more of those slabs stacked like books on wooden shelves, Iris grinning at the way her slave stared with a foreign curiosity...

“This is where our history is kept Serena... Each of those boards records an event in my people’s existence, every victory kept safe in this room...” Said Iris with a hint of nationalistic pride, the Queen clearly very passionate about her tribe...

“Wow... So, you write literally everything down?” Asked Serena, surprised that Iris’s people had such a system... The white girl had imagined these people were like cavemen when she first arrived, they had certainly acted as such in their attitudes towards women...

“That’s right my dear, every single thing... Here, they have even written about our wedding, look!” Iris said with enthusiasm as she grabbed a very fresh looking slab, handing it to Serena so she could read it...

The slave took it, interested to read, her eyes scanning the page...

“የዛሪቲ ንግሥት አይሪስ ከተወለደች ከሃያ አንድ የበጋ ወቅት ቤቷ በምትኖርበት ቤኒዙ አትእገቢ በተባለች መንደር ውስጥ አንድ ነጭ ባሪያ ሴሎና የካሎስን አገባች ...”

Serena stared in bemusement at the symbols she was shown... She could not make any sense of it, it was completely removed from the more Latin based alphabet she was used to...

Nervously, she chuckled, trying not to make herself look more uneducated in front of her Queen...

“I-it’s wonderful, th-thanks for showing me...” She said, Iris letting out a giggle as Serena turned to face her...

“Silly girl... I know you cannot read it... It amuses me that you tried to pretend you could though, it is adorable...” Said Iris, patting Serena’s head, the slave a little annoyed by this admission...

“Wait, so you knew I wouldn’t be able to read it? Then why did you give it to me!?” Serena asked with a slight glare, her hands meeting her sides as she stood there in frustration, this woman was making everything difficult for her!

Chuckling, Iris beamed, patting her slave girl on the head once more, messing up her light hair...

“It was funny my dear, a little joke I wished to play on you... You make these things so cute after all...” Said Iris, booping Serena’s nose with her finger, the white girl going silent, not used to being treated like such an imbecile...

“I can read it for you though my love, hand it to me...” Iris said with her hand extended...

Serena gave Iris the slab, the Queen reading it very quickly, as if it were a mere statement that a child could understand...

“It says, twenty one summers after the birth of Iris, Queen of the Zhireti, she married a white slave, Serena of Kalos, in a ceremony in her home village of bewenizu āt’egebi...” Iris read the slab to Serena, the pale girl becoming a little unhappy at the words “white slave”...

But something else had piqued the slave’s interest...

“Is that the name of your village, bewenuzu... Bewezu... ugh...” Serena huffed as she attempted to speak the name, Iris giggling in response...

“It’s bewenizu āt’egebi my dear... In the white language, it means By The River... We have a version that we teach the whites, it seems to agree better with their tongue... Benizu Ategabi....” Iris explained to Serena, speaking of the slave’s race as if they were infants, not able to speak the big complicated grownup words...

Serena whispered the name to herself repeatedly under her breath, until she was able to remember it, Benizu Ategabi...

“But come now, the name of my village is of little interest compared to the treasures in here... After all, why learn of a village, when you can learn of a kingdom!” Iris said excitedly, grabbing Serena by the wrist as she led her to another end of the room, three high quality maps stuck to the wall, drawn on massive versions of those smaller slabs...

“These are the maps showing our many triumphs in this land... The one on the left is how we began, just this village, and the rest show our wonderful expansion!” Exclaimed Iris with passion, proud of the power her people now held...

Serena felt time stop as she noticed the spread... The first map was pretty small, just one tiny village, barely noticeable on the map, several other villages form neighbouring tribes dotting the landscape... Benizu Ategabi was marked only by a certain colour, a light purple blob...

But then the next map showed that some of these villages had disappeared, enveloped by a large purple mass that had swallowed them up, the land between them now obscured by that colour, the Zhireti having expanded considerably...

The white girl’s face drained in shock as the last map came into her view... It was zoomed out further, most if not all of the land shown on the previous map now bathing in purple, not a single one of the last tribes appearing to still have survived...

“Wh-What happened!? This map, is that you!? Is that the Zhireti!?” Serena suddenly blurted, turning to face the Queen, a puzzled look on Iris’s face... 

“Well, yes, that is our tribe, growing our land... What is the issue? We were tiny before Serena, but now, we are mighty, and the land knows the name of Zhireti!” Iris said in triumph, Serena appearing horrified by this revelation...

“It is a good thing my slave, you are owned by the most powerful tribe in the region, our name strikes fear into our enemies!” Said the Queen in an attempt to convince her wife of the greatness of their power, unable to understand why Serena was so surprised...

“B-but all those people, you invaded their home, y-you enslaved them!” Serena shouted, the scale of what her mistress was responsible for finally clear...

“We did not invade their homes Serena, we simply took back land which is rightfully ours... The Zhireti were chosen by the gods to own these lands, we needed only to _clear_ them first...” Iris responded with increased frustration, why could her slave not understand?

The white slave became angry, how could she speak of this as if it were pest control!

“Clear them!? There were people living there! Whole tribes! It was not some empty wilderness that you could just build onto!” Serena said with increased emotion, she could see it now, the Queen wasn’t as kind as she’d once thought...

“Enough of this! Serena, we did what we had to do to expand our territory, to ensure the Zhireti would have a presence in the forest that did not just amount to a puny village... We did something great Serena! Something heroic! Something inspiring!” Iris boomed out in anger and pride, defending her tribe’s honour...

“None of this is great, or inspiring, or heroic, it’s barbaric!” Screamed the slave, her mistress having enough of Serena’s defiance...

“Hold your tongue slave, **NOW!!!** ” The Queen ordered with a growl to her voice, disgusted and enraged!

Serena couldn’t do this right now, she’d had a stressful enough morning, she didn’t have the energy for yet another argument...

Moodily, she shoved past Iris, her owner spinning round in shock at her slave’s actions...

“And where do you think you’re going!?” Asked the Queen angrily, already beginning to lose her temper...

But Serena didn’t even give her the courtesy of a reply, slamming the door behind her as she grew more and more tense, she needed to get away from Iris for now, this was too much...

“ **COME BACK HERE!!!!!!!!!** ” Iris screeched loudly from behind the door, frozen by rage, no slave had ever stormed away from her before! 

The Queen would make sure that Serena would know just how bad of a slave she had been... This kind of behaviour was not only rude, not only a slap in the face to all the men who had died to help secure that land... 

It was much more than any of that... It was practically unforgivable...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ended up being a lot shorter than usual. I think now that we have the basic things establish, we don’t always need massive additions to the story. Smaller inserts like this more than suffice <3
> 
> And also I know I said I wouldn’t be uploading for a little while, but I couldn’t help writing this, it’s just so great to be able to explore this world :)
> 
> Also thank you to those who have left your feedback and questions. Knowing that people wanna read this really helps me keep going 💗


	10. A Slave’s Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now firmly planted in her mistress’s bad books, Serena must come to terms with her new existence, wether she wants to or not...

Serena slammed the door to Iris’s room with a loud **THUD!** , the walls shaking slightly as the slave girl popped herself onto the bed, laying herself down, her face red with anger, the teen having to restrain herself from trashing the room out of rage... Iris was already mad at her for her actions... She wasn’t about to give the Queen another reason to punish her slave...

She huffed for no reason in particular, staring up at the ceiling as she tried to both calm herself down and process what was happening....

Alone time had been a rare occurrence for Serena lately... She had of course gained many solitary hours whilst in that hut, being visited only by one of the black slaves... She wondered how that girl was doing... Perhaps her mistress coul-

The slave let out an angry, frustrated groan, slamming her hands down against the bed as she shook off that title... Mistress... She was being tamed... All of what Iris was doing, her harsh tones, treating her like an idiot, a fool, it was all part of a tactic to break her down into the perfect slave wife, a nice little pet that her majesty could walk around like a dog... Axew had more freedom than her... He was treated better too, he was never scolded or teased, only loved... At least he seemed to like Serena... Pokemon could see past things like that, skin colour, status...

To Axew, Serena seemed no different to Iris... If only he knew...

Feeling herself lose her train of thought, she furrowed her brow, trying to recall what had really been bothering her...

Oh... Of course... Those damn maps...

Serena hadn’t understood the scale at which Iris operated... She imagined that only 1 or 2 villages had fallen to the Zhireti, not several more... All those people... All those slaves...

And they were slaves now, those that lived, Serena could tell as much... Akinyi had been just one of many in her village... There must be hundreds more throughout the others...

Too worn out to cry, she lay there, remembering what scant facts she’d learned in history class... Kalos had been involved in slavery once... Heavily involved... It was only as attitudes changed that they begrudgingly freed them, although she recalled a certain island nation that had been paying some sort of reimbursement, something to do with a rebellion, she could not remember, it all seemed fuzzy now...

But what Serena did remember was how people in her class responded to the stories, the horrific tales of inhumanity and sorrow... Some of them sat in silent dismissal, the words having as much effect as a raindrop on a fire, fizzling out before it even reached them...

Others would make jokes, foul jokes, some of them even saying they wished it hadn’t ended... Those people made Serena sick, they had always been the jerks of the class, from the families that were still not wealthy enough to afford private school, but still of a higher class than most, the sort of people you’d wanna punch if you could...

And then there were the few, those who sat and listened, those who cared to hear... Serena had been one of them... The full scale of slavery had not hit her until now, but even then, she felt a sadness in her heart at the things she heard... She was glad it was a thing of the past... She thought it was all over...

But clearly, Serena had been wrong... She was a slave here, not a captive.. She’d been trying to push the word slave out of her head, telling herself she was a hostage, a kidnapping victim, simply awaiting rescue...

Nobody was gonna come... It was obvious now... She had been taken further out than even the most adventurous of guides would stray... She was in a whole different kingdom now, what was clearly a powerful kingdom... If by some miracle, somebody from the outside found out where she was, they couldn’t just rescue her...

As far as the Zhireti were concerned, she was their property... Unless her rescuers were able to offer something of equal value in exchange, Serena would be going nowhere... And given she was the Queen’s wife, the slave girl doubted Iris would part with her...

This wasn’t how Serena wanted marriage to be... Regardless of who she was married to, Serena wanted a loving, equal relationship... It had proven to be loving at times so far... But only on Iris’s terms... and it could hardly be called equal...

The word repeated in her head... slave... slave... slave... 

Serena had never imagined that word would one day refer to her... It was just so unimaginable in the outside world... The scrutiny of the entire planet would be pointed directly at the first country to officially have even 1 slave... And Serena had never considered herself at risk... She came from a good home, had a stable career, she was hardly vulnerable...

But the illusion had long since been shattered now... She had crumbled the moment those men grabbed her, she had put up little fight... Was it because she wanted this? Did she want to be owned? A woman who valued her freedom would have fought back hard, even if she received a harsh beating... She could at least have said she’d tried... But she hadn’t...

Serena hadn’t even tried to run... But then again... Where to? At best, she could’ve made it a short distance before her tiredness and bound hands made going on difficult... She could’ve died out there if she’d run...

That word wouldn’t leave her alone... slave... slave... slave...

This wasn’t right, she wasn’t a slave, she knew she wasn’t! She was a proud Kalosian! 

But as that flitter of nationalistic pride hit Serena as she thought of her homeland, more images appeared in her mind, those stories she’d heard, of how her country had enslaved so many, how they had been responsible for countless suffering...

Serena went silent within her mind, staring up at the ceiling again... Her people had been no better than the Zhireti... And in fact, as much as she hated to admit it, the Zhireti were more civil than they had been too...

Serena sighed and stared... This was gonna be a long, long day...

*********************************************

Iris paced impatiently in the throne room, her arms crossed behind her back, her temper brewing, becoming more and more angry by the second...

Suddenly, Akinyi dashed in, bowing before Her Majesty, who stood there, seemingly unimpressed...

“Akinyi! I sent for you half an hour ago!” Iris shouted at the slave in Zhireti tongue, the girl keeping her head low for the time being, making eye contact was a bad idea right now...

“Yes mistress, my apologies... We’ve been having issues with the new kitchen slave, she-“

The Queen grabbed the girl by her shoulders and pulled her closer in rage, she had no time for excuses!

“I care not for your business, it is of no concern to me... But when I send for you, you will come to me girl, do I make myself clear!?” Shouted the Queen at the stunned slave, unused to seeing Iris with such a temper, used to her mistress snapping only occasionally at her...

“Yes mistress, my deepest apologies...” Akinyi said with a bow, she was quite worried, Iris was more worked up than usual about something...

“We need to discuss something, Akinyi...” The Queen said sternly... That was a bad sign directly after anger... It meant she was building an outburst...

“Of course your majesty, what would her majesty like to discuss?” Akinyi asked in obedience, her legs making a mental note to run if Iris so much as sneezed...

“The new girl, Serena, my wife... She has displeased me many times now... Her story is rather sad, I must admit, but she continues to be a nuisance no matter how much love and affection I rain down upon her... I fear she is unfixable, or at the very least, highly intolerable...” Explained Iris, Akinyi starting to grow anxious as she realised where her mistress was going with this...

Iris stared straight at the slave, wordless, silent... Then, the Queen spoke....  
“Akinyi, you said she’d be better!” Shouted Iris towards her inferior, her slave fighting the fear within her, she had to stay obedient, she had to stay polite...

“You told me you’d had a chat, and she wasn’t gonna cause any more scenes... Well, guess what happened, girl!?” Iris blared almost mockingly into Akinyi’s face, treating the girl as if she were stupid, much like Serena.... Except, there were no fun and games this time...

“Y-your maj-“

Akinyi was struck with a hard slap, unprovoked and uncalled for, the black slave stumbling back a little as she tried to keep her composure....

“She had another outburst, that’s what happened!! Either the palmskin did a bad job of listening, or you did a bad job of speaking, and I would like to know which!!!” Iris screamed at her slave, the black girl shaking very slightly, she had never seen her mistress so angry before, it terrified her....

“Y-your Majesty, I take full responsibility... Perhaps there was an error in how I had spoken to her... Please, accept my deepest, sincere apologies....” Akinyi replied, bowing both to be polite, and also to hide her face from Iris, needing a moment to wipe the concern off it it, she always needed to be alert and ready to serve her mistress, in whatever way she could...

“My slave seemed to know of our conquests, or at least, she knew we had enslaved the people who had been living on **our** land, despite me not telling her... Where could she have found that out from, huh? Who else here speaks the white man’s tongue!?” Iris asked mockingly, knowing the answer, Akinyi shaking as she forced back a response...

“M-mistress, it was I, I told her of how I came to be in this wonderful place, h-how you so nobly enslaved my people rather than killing them all, I-I spoke only highly of it, Your Majesty, I thought she would understand...” Explained the black slave, a nervousness to her voice, she knew her words would not impress Iris...

“Well you thought wrong! She called what we did barbaric, she was opposed to our greatness, like we were villains! I have never been so insulted before in my life! Not only did your actions make her insult me directly, she insulted the Zhireti!” Iris shouted at Akinyi, her harsh words already a punishment to the loyal slave, she hated being scolded...

The Queen grabbed Akinyi’s head, turning her gaze to meet hers, rage baked deep into Iris’s eyes...

“You will go and find Serena, and you will fix this, or you can forget your life here... I have no issues selling a slave to some dirty farmers, if it means I can get a slave who can actually do her job right... Your position here is hanging by a thread, Akinyi, you would find it wise not to let it snap...” Threatened Iris, Akinyi feeling herself start to panic within, hoping the Queen would dismiss her soon... She needed to talk to Serena, if not to save herself, then to save the white girl... She didn’t want her to suffer further...

“Yes mistress, it will be done, your wife will know the error of her ways...” Akinyi reassured Iris, the Queen staring at her with an  
unconfident look, she didn’t honestly imagine the dark slave could change her slave’s mind... But she knew one thing, it wasn’t gonna be the Queen who was gonna try, she’d tried as hard as she could with that girl...

“Well go on then, find her!” Iris screeched, Akinyi bowing and taking her leave, hurriedly rushing off to search for the white girl, she couldn’t have gone far, the guards would have stopped her had she tried to escape... It would be only a matter of time before she found the Queen’s wife...

*********************************************

Serena lay in silence for hours, not sleeping, not crying, just laying there, thinking... 

She wasn’t a person anymore... She’d never truly thought about what it must be like to be owned... She felt like some sort of ornament, a mere possession, no humanity left other than how she looked... That was how the tribe saw her... To them, there was little difference between the white slave, and a wooden chair... Both were useful, both served their owners well...

And with enough pressure, both of them would break...

Serena’s thoughts were interrupted by a loud knocking on the door, the girl almost jumping from the sudden noise...

“Go away!” Said the white slave with a frustration in her voice, she didn’t want to be disturbed right now...

The door creaked open, Serena sitting up angrily...

“I said go away!!” Yelled the slave, grabbing a pillow and chucking it towards the door, lucky that she hadn’t grabbed something more expensive...

The door shut slightly, but then opened again, familiar eyes on a short, rounder frame showing Serena who it was, although it did not soften her attitude... She really couldn’t be dealing with any of them right now...

“Serena... It is me, Akinyi... I just need to talk with you, ok?” 

Serena sat silently for a moment, thinking over her words, she didn’t want to be too rude to her friend, the black girl didn’t deserve that...

“Not now Akinyi.... I need to be alone...” Serena replied, her voice still moody, but not quite as angry, wanting to show some civility...

“I cannot go... I need to talk with you... It is her majesty’s orders, and the only other thing I can do is call her here to talk to her yourself...” Akinyi explained, giving her white friend the only two options she could offer, there was no way out of this...

Huffing in annoyance, Serena sighed... She really just couldn’t catch a break...

“Ugh... Fiiine.... But please don’t go on about how lucky I should feel, or how good being a slave is... I’m really not in the mood...” Serena said tiredly, wishing she didn’t have to even say those words, wishing her friend was more assertive against their mistress...

Saying nothing, Akinyi opened the door, shutting it gently behind her as she made her way to the bed...

She did not sit down though, she would not dare do such a thing without the strict permission of Queen Iris herself... She had seen many slaves beaten black and blue for resting in their master’s bed... And this was the Queen’s...

“Well, aren’t you gonna sit down?” Serena asked, clearly not understanding the privilege she held as Iris’s wife... She could lay on the bed, even if Akinyi, the loyal longtime slave of the Queen, couldn’t....

“I cannot sit down, I have not received permission...” Explained the black girl, who stood with a trained obedience, having been at this bedside many times over the years, yet never having touched it...

“Oh come on, that’s just wrong...” Serena blurted out, Akinyi’s eyes widening at her words...

“That miserable bitch... If it were up to me, you wouldn’t even be a slave anymore Akinyi... I’m sorry my wife is such a nasty-“

Akinyi interrupted Serena’s words, her heart beating fast with worry...

“Please, you must not say such things! You speak of your owner with harsh words, you cannot do these things Serena!” Warned the fearful black, her eyes filled with worry, Serena would end up getting them both sold off with the way she was behaving!

“I most certainly can do these things! I’m not gonna let her push me around any more! I’d rather die than have to be her lapdog any longer!” Shouted Serena in anger, the dark girl holding a shaky finger to her own lips, she really must not say that!

“No no! Serena, you do not understand, if you continue as you do, the Queen may kill you, or sell you off, you should not be saying such things!!” Akinyi warned worriedly, her voice somewhat hushed, she did not want Iris to hear them at all, it would tip the Queen over the edge...

“Good, cos I wanna fucking die.... The wedding was good enough after all... The funerals here must be even better!” Serena joked in sarcastic anger, her face turning red again, Akinyi needed to chill the fuck out...

“Serena please!” Shouted the black slave, who had gotten on her knees, kneeling with her hands clasped in front of her, begging the girl just like she’d begged her owners in the past...

Serena lost some of her rage when she saw this, growing concerned at how emotional her friend was becoming... 

“Akinyi... Akinyi it’s ok, I’ll calm down, please don’t beg, you don’t need to beg...” Said the white slave, trying to reassure the black one, the darker woman turning her gaze to meet Serena’s, fear and pain in her dark eyes...

“Sister, you do not understand how things work here... Y-you cannot act as you have been acting... It displeases Her Majesty greatly, she is most angry about this... Please, if you cannot learn to hold your tongue for your own good, then hold it for me, please...” Begged Akinyi as she began to well up, the first time Serena had ever seen her upset... She’d seen her sad, happy, angry even... But never upset, to the point where she was now on the brink of tears...

Serena shuffled herself along the bed, sitting herself on the edge, her pale hand coming down to rub the bare back of the black girl, the dark slave hiding her face away as if ashamed of her weakness, of how close she was to crying...

“It’s ok.... Please, don’t cry, please Akinyi... Just take a deep breath and count to 10, just count to 10 for me...” The pale slave said in support, remembering one of her old tactics for dealing with pain, before Satoshi came along to help..

Akinyi counted in her tongue, lifting her head to meet Serena’s blue eyes, the black girl no longer about to cry, just quite sad...

“See... You can relax... If it really means that much to you, I’ll try not to get so heated... It’s just difficult, Iris makes it very hard... She treats me like a child Akinyi, earlier she even made fun of me for trying to read your words and speak them too... I’m scared she’s trying to break me... I don’t want her to... I just wish I could go home...” Said the white teen, a sadness in her voice, laying herself back on the bed as she tried to come to terms with her reality, with being royal property...

A hand brushed her cheek, and the girl turned to see her black friend, the darker woman stroking her white friend’s face, being careful not to touch the bed...

“Oh Serena, poor Serena... I wish I had some words of comfort for you... But the truth is, this is your home now, you are a slave like me... I cannot change that... and you cannot change it either... But we can both deal with it, and try to learn how to cope.... Do you understand?” Asked Akinyi sorrowfully, knowing just how badly Serena wanted freedom...

“I do... I do understand... But I just feel so... Helpless... I wanna just run out of the palace and make my way back home... I have a family there, I did have a boyfriend too, I had a whole life... And now I’m stuck here, I’m not even allowed to wear clothes, and yesterday the Queen-“

Serena fell silent, she did not want to say what had happened... It had felt somewhat easier before... But saying it to somebody other than her abuser felt... Scary... Like she might get in trouble for uttering those words...

“Serena... You do not have to say... I was there...” Akinyi admitted, lowering her head in shame for not trying harder to stop what had happened...

“Y-you were? B-but... It was just m-me... and... her...” Serena responded quietly, shocked...

“Yes... I heard your screams, and ran to help... I tried to pull Her Majesty off of you... But she struck me... and I couldn’t risk angering her further, for both our sakes... She might have already sold us if I hadn’t let her do it... I’m sorry... But I had no choice...” Akinyi explained to the stunned white girl, Serena not sure what to say...

She felt almost betrayed by Akinyi, her friend, but at the same time, she understood she had no other options... Once it had begun, only the Queen could stop it... Her power was becoming more and more clear to Serena now...

The silence growing awkward and sad, Akinyi spoke up, wanting to do something to at least drive the conversation elsewhere....

“I am sorry to say all these things to you... I wish I could say happier things... But we must try to make things happier Serena, for ourselves... I can show you how...” Offered the black girl, her words of some comfort to Serena, although the rest overshadowed the good words, crushing them with sorrow...

“Did y-you say... B-both our sakes?” Asked the white slave quietly, she almost didn’t want to ask, but those words had lingered in her mind... She hoped Iris wasn’t punishing Akinyi for any of her own actions...

“Yes... As I told you, Her Majesty is most displeased... She... Would not like it if you were to continue being as you are...” Said the black girl, trying to avoid mentioning the threats their owner had made towards her...

“B-but... She’s not punishing you for this, is she?” The pale teen asked, waiting patiently for a response, the dark girl going silent...

Serena sat up, looking over at her friend, deeply concerned...

“Akinyi... Is she punishing you for this?” She asked more worriedly, the black slave not able to bring herself to look back as she answered...

“N-not.... yet...”

Serena got off the bed, hugging her friend, her worry becoming overwhelming now...

“Akinyi, if she’s threatened you, you can tell me, please don’t try to hide it...” 

The dark slave replied, her voice trembling...

“Her Majesty has tasked me with talking to you, trying to make you see sense... If I cannot do this, she will...” 

Serena’s eyebrows furrowed, something was very wrong here...

“What will she do? Please, tell me Akinyi....”

The black girl took a deep breath...

“If I cannot change your ways, Her Majesty has said I may be sold off, to farmers, to bad owners... B-but I do not want you to worry for me, sister... I would be able to handle it... It is you I worry for most of all, without me here, you would have none to talk to other than Her Majesty, not until you learn our tongue....”

Serena hugged Akinyi tight, squeezing her as she wrapped her arms around the black woman protectively, Serena feeling intense guilt for putting her friend in danger...

“Fuck, Akinyi... I had no idea, I really didn’t... That bitch... I’ll make her answer for this, for thr-“

A black, feminine hand covered Serena’s lips, her darker friend staring up at her...

“No, sister... You cannot fight this... You try so hard to battle against Queen Iris... You want so badly to make her answer for her actions... But you cannot.... You need to understand, you are a slave now... You do not have a say in most things... All we can do is try to get on with our lives, we cannot change our owner’s ways... I’m sorry Serena... But you have to give up... Until you do, it will never be easy for you... I’m so sorry...” 

Serena fell silent, the true reality of her situation was clear... She wasn’t a woman anymore... She did not have a voice... Fighting back wasn’t just unwise... It was impossible... It wasn’t an option...

Sitting herself back down on the edge of the bed, Serena gazed blankly at the floor, Akinyi staying silent, she knew what was happening... It had happened to her family too, to every slave... And it was so hard to deal with...

She kept her silence for what felt like an empty eternity... Then, the black girl spoke, softly, quietly...

“I... I do not really like the fact that I am a slave... As much as I praise my owners, and the life I have been able to live, I wish still that I had some freedom... I miss my family too... My mother and sisters, I still got to be with them... But my father... My brother... My uncles...”

Akinyi didn’t finish her sentence... She didn’t need to... Serena knew what the girl meant...

“I used to ask mother, when we were first enslaved, I asked her, why do they keep us here? Why can’t we go? But she would never answer... And I know now, why she never used to answer... It was because she did not want to say why... It hurt to say... To say that we were... Slaves...”

Serena stayed silent and still, but she was listening... She just couldn’t bring herself to say something back, she just felt... Hollow...

“I remember once, when I had been a slave only a few years, I once tried to walk outside of where we were allowed to roam, outside of the field, past the path we used to call... The Freeman Road... Because only free men could walk it.... I took one step onto it, then another, and it felt wonderful, just to rebel that one tiny bit.... But then master saw me, he grew angry... Mother had to beg him, beg him not to punish me... She took it instead... She still has the scars...”

Akinyi fell as silent as Serena, horrible memories flooding back to her, the girl just as frozen as her white friend, but for things that had happened, not the things that had yet to come...

But she had to continue... For Serena... She had to finish her story...

“I learned a lesson that day, Serena... I learnt never to go against my master... Not even for the tiniest thing... It is not worth the consequences...”

She fell silent, the room falling dormant once more, the only sound the gentle breathing of the slave girls, the two women who could no longer act for themselves...

It was a while before Serena felt ready to respond, her voice a little dry, she hadn’t drunk anything since that morning...

“I’m sorry.... I’m so sorry... I must’ve seemed like a jerk... Sitting her, acting like I could just wish my situation away... You must’ve felt so stressed and frustrated... You just wanted me to understand, and I wouldn’t even listen...”

The black girl turned her head to look at the white slave, giving her a small smile, a sad smile...

“It is ok... You could not have known... I am only sorry I did not try harder yesterday... I could have prepared you further, but I forgot how new slaves think... I had never met a white who wasn’t already a slave, all white’s here are... I thought you would be like them too... and I apologise for that...”

Serena felt herself welling up again, the tears from earlier replenished in her eyes, ready to flow forth once more...

“Why... Why do they treat white people like that here? N-not all black people are slaves in this kingdom... B-but, from what you have said, all of my kind share my slavery... Why?” Serena asked emotionally, her voice cracking, a few tears sneaking their way past her eyelids and down her cheeks...

The black girl sighed... She hated that she was having to break this to her... It would be tough...

“In this kingdom, we.... we don’t see whites as... people... You seem so strange to us, your hair is so straight and light, your skin is so pale... You are like ghosts to us, like different beings... You are not considered the same as the blacks... To the Zhireti, white people are like blacks who have lost their humanity, their strength... They say you live where the air is always as cold as night, that you live mostly in darkness, that is why you have lost your colour... They see your kind as animals Serena... You aren’t even allowed clothes most of the time, they think it is too good for whites...”

She sighed again, shaking her head to herself...

“I think it is cruel how they treat your people... They have treated dogs better... I have known many whites in my time, my friend’s family used to own one, before the invasion...”

Serena looked over at her, she hadn’t considered that Akinyi’s people had also owned slaves... But she wouldn’t judge yet... She would listen, and try to understand...

“I cannot recall her name, it was something exotic, much like your name... She was a pretty girl, nearly as old as you are now, her hair like dry grass, her skin as white as the sun... I used to see her when we visited, she would make the meals, and sweep the floor... And sometimes I would see her in the fields, she worked near me, picking the crops as I did... I did not understand at the time that she and I were different, other than how she looked...”

Serena smiled a little, a tiny bit of happiness coming over her as she heard her story... She was still saddened to hear that this girl was a slave... But at least Akinyi didn’t see her as such...

“What was she like?” Asked the white girl, pulling her knees to her chest to stay comfortable, her arms wrapping around her legs...

“She was so friendly... She’d sings songs with us... It was clear she did not know our songs like we did, she used to sing them strangely... But we enjoyed singing with her... She was nice...”

The black slave’s smile quickly faded, Serena noticing, wondering if she should say something... But then Akinyi spoke again...

“We did not see her after the invasion... I heard she had been sent to another of the villages owned by the Zhireti, one they had invaded years before... But she is most probably long gone from there now, slaves can often be sold around many times... I hope she is ok... I think about her sometimes...”

Once more, the room fell into silence, both slaves sitting there, Serena on the bed, Akinyi on the floor, one having the higher status there, despite her skin colour being considered inferior... It was a strange situation...

Suddenly, there was a loud, angry knocking on the door, the white slave’s blood running cold as she realised who it was...

“Akinyi! Serena! I know you two are in there, the guards saw you walk in...”

Serena began to breathe fast, the black slave wrapping her dark arms around her, pulling her off of the bed and onto her feet, the poor white girl panicking...

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck she’s gonna kill me!!!” Whispered Serena, finally understanding how bad her earlier actions had been...

But Akinyi comforted her, holding her, shushing the frightened girl, she must not let Iris hear...

“It is ok sister, it is ok, do as you told me, count to 10, relax, you will be ok so long as you show your loyalty...” She said in an attempt to reassure the pale slave, Serena forcing herself to calm down, feeling like she was gonna be sick from holding in her fear...

Iris kicked open the door, making it slam into the wall as she walked forward, looking at both slaves...

“Well, did you talk to her then!?” She asked Akinyi, the black girl fearing another slap should she not choose her words carefully...

“Yes, my mistress, Serena has understood now, she is sorry, and she wishes to apologise to you...” Lied the black slave, the white girl staring at her friend in shock, shaking her head almost imperceptibly, she couldn’t do this, she just couldn’t!

But Serena had no choice if she wanted to fix the wrongs she had committed... Moving aside, Serena found herself face to face with an angry, frustrated Queen, her hands planted on her hips, scowling at her white slave, deeply angered...

Serena cleared her throat, staring at the floor to save herself from Iris’s harsh glare, watching the Queen’s pedicured foot as it tapped impatiently, awaiting her wife’s response...

“M-mistress... I’m so sorry for what I did... I... I was rude, I saw how your people had triumphed, a-and I felt angry, for stupid reasons... I forgot my place, I forgot I belonged to you, that I was your slave, I....”

Serena fought back her tears as she spoke these next words, hating every syllable, but knowing she’d have to crumble to convince Iris she was truly sorry...

“I forgot my place... As a wh-white... as your wife... I... I love you, my mistress... And I am so, so sorry I behaved the way I did...”

Serena stood there, shaking like a leaf, her nerves overwhelming the poor teen as she awaited her owner’s response, hoping she wouldn’t be beaten...

Taking advantage of her lengthy hair, the Queen took a firm hold of Serena’s locks, pulling them back, making the white slave face her, the pain in her scalp forcing tears from the girl, Iris’s dark brown eyes seeming to stab into Serena’s beautiful blues...

“If you ever do that again, I will have you whipped... Count yourself lucky I haven’t beaten you today...” Iris spat angrily, her rage still strong, but her words suggesting that Serena would face no further punishment... For now...

“Y-yes mistress, thank you thank you thank you!!! Aaaaaah!!” Serena exclaimed, the pain on her head excruciating, making her fire her words out as she prayed for the Queen to let go, it hurt so badly...

With a thud, she let Serena fall sharply to the floor, turning to take one look at her, speaking to her other slave as she did...

“Have her help out in the kitchens today... I want her to do some proper work for once in her life...” Ordered the Queen, before speaking once more to her white property through gritted teeth...

“And you better work hard, girl, I’ll know you if you slack off, so don’t even think about it...”

Serena nodded frantically, relieved yet filled with dread...

“Yes mistress, thank you mistress, I will work hard for you, your M-Majesty...” Serena replied as she lay on the floor, the Queen giving one quick nod before leaving, slamming the door behind her...

Akinyi ran to Serena’s side as the girl began to break down, sniffling as she started to cry out of fear, out of sadness and pain...

But they could not wait for her tears to subside... Akinyi helped the white girl to her feet, wiping away her tears with her dark hand, the pale slave managing to cease her crying, she had to, mistress would be angry if she saw...

The black slave helped her towards the door, speaking words of encouragement, how this was good, and she would enjoy a day working in the kitchen...

That made no difference though... Serena just felt even more hollow now, like Iris had scooped out every essence of her soul, leaving the girl as just an empty vessel...

She did not want to leave this room again... The slave wanted to bury herself in the covers, until the whole world went away, she just wanted to close herself away and cry...

But Serena knew she couldn’t do that... Like with everything in her life now, Serena knew, she had no choice...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this during the early hours of the morning. I had been thinking about actual slavery, throughout history, and it made me quite upset. So I decided to add this chapter.
> 
> It’s strange, because obviously I have a slave kink. Yet I feel so strongly about real slavery, it is the worst thing that mankind has shown itself to be capable of.
> 
> I sincerely hope that genuine government sanctioned slavery never happens again. It is vile, and it is horrific, and it is disgusting.
> 
> And to those who have been following this story, I do want to assure you, there will be more fluff, and more smut. But I will begin taking a deeper look at the slave’s lives also, I want to be able to demonstrate how tough it is for all of them, especially the white’s in this case.
> 
> Also, I decided to experiment with showing a perspective from some other characters, namely Akinyi, in that scene with the Queen. I won’t do this too often, and when Serena is around, it will still be from her perspective, at least from the time being.
> 
> I hope you are all having wonderful day, and I look forward to showing you what will happen next for these unfortunate characters.


	11. Cookin’ n cleanin’

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saved from harsh punishment, but tasked with working a job she has never done before, Serena isn’t sure how to feel...

Two slaves walked through the hallways of the royal palace, the guards keeping a close eye on the pair as they made their way towards the kitchens, paying close attention to the white girl... People of her kind could not be so easily trusted...

Serena was hit by a sudden blast of warmth as they entered the kitchen area, the large room filled with noise, the many slaves within busy cooking, washing and cleaning, the white teen feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the energy of the room, she had never worked in a kitchen before...

Leading her in, Akinyi took Serena to meet who she assumed was the head chef, a large, stocky woman, a large white apron covering her front, one of the only women here who had any clothing other than a loincloth...

She took one look at Serena, staring at her with what could only be called disgust, giving her an order in Zhireti tongue, something the white girl could not understand, forcing the slave to simply stand there, still and silent...

The woman grew angry, shouting at the poor girl before Akinyi interjected, explaining to her why Serena was not doing her orders, she had yet to learn to speak their language...

A look of frustrated dread fell across the woman’s face, she couldn’t deal with a girl who couldn’t even understand her... Ordering Akinyi to remain as her translator, she grabbed Serena’s wrist, leading (or rather pulling) the befuddled white girl towards a chopping counter, freshly washed root vegetables laying aside, some strange plant the white girl had never seen before...

Serena was given a special knife, the end blunted to prevent its use as a weapon... They did not trust any slave with such a sharp object, and they especially weren’t gonna trust a white...

Holding the knife, examining it, she turned to Akinyi, wondering exactly how she should chop this thing...

“Take the knife and chop it into slices, like this...” Her black friend explained, cutting the long vegetable in much the same way as a carrot, chopping it into thick yet thin segments...

Nodding, Serena took the knife back, starting to cut up the vegetable, slow but precise, her first work as a slave...

She was onto her second batch of vegetables when she suddenly looked up, noticing something in the corner....

It was a white girl, her skin tanned, her knees pulled to cover her face, her arms wrapped around them, just huddling in the corner, she seemed to be having some sort of breakdown...

Serena wanted to help her, but before she could, the head chef suddenly stormed over to the huddled slave, one of the elongated vegetables held firmly in her grip...

She wacked the slave across the head with it, getting three hard hits in before the slave stood herself up, her face red, her cheeks glistening with tears, she had clearly been crying...

Roughly, the chef dragged the girl over to a counter, handing her a wooden scourer, dirty cooking equipment stacked up beside a large, soapy tub....

She stood there for a moment, as if processing everything, and then began her work, struggling with a hefty pan as she dropped it into the tub and began to scrub it with the scourer, the slave being careful not to nick her hands as she washed up...

Serena got back to her work, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the girl... She kept glancing over, a look of deep concern on her face as she discretely spoke to her friend...

“Akinyi, what’s wrong with her? Why are they being so harsh...” Asked Serena, watching as the white girl pushed herself through her tough work, her hands wrinkled from the water...

“It does not concern you Serena, you should continue your work, they need to be chopped and ready very soon...” Akinyi explained, Serena lowering her gaze back to the board, getting through as many vegetables as she could, feeling her arms grow sore and tired over time...

Eventually, she was done, as was the other white slave, her washing finally finished... Spoken to by the chef, who shouted an order towards the unfamiliar slave, the pale girl walked over to Serena to collect the chopped produce, an empty look in her eyes...

The girl was pretty, or at least she had been, her features soft and small, her hair a dark brown that matched her slightly sunken eyes... She looked to be slightly younger than Serena, but by no means a teenager, more a young woman....

“Hey, are you alright? She really hit you hard there...” Said Serena to the white girl, the pale slave looking at her in confusion, uttering a few words in the native language, seemingly unable to understand Serena at all...

She watched as the slave took the vegetables, carrying them over to other slaves who were busy cooking on fire fuelled ovens... Serena wondered just how they had enough metal out here to make both them and the other items...

But that was of little importance to her right now... She needed to know who that girl was, why did she not know how to speak English?

“Who is she? That girl... She can’t seem to understand me at all, how long has she been here?” Serena asked Akinyi, the black slave sighing, almost in annoyance, but not with any frustration...

“I’ll explain later Serena... We still have work to do...”

The chef strutted up to Serena, her frustration evident, threatening to wack her as she had the other white, grabbing her wrist and tugging her over to the tub, a fresh load of cooking equipment being laid beside it, Serena given the job the other girl had been doing...

The white teen groaned, grabbing some utensils and scrubbing them, her arms feeling so heavy, so worn out... She hoped she didn’t have much more to do...

*********************************************

Serena practically limped out of the kitchen, her arms like jelly, her legs sore from standing constantly, she felt like she wanted to collapse...

Akinyi could see this, leading the slave along an unfamiliar corridor, Serena groaning as each step brought with it more soreness, memories of her painful trek to the village reappearing in her mind...

She was led into a large, bare room, animal skins on the floor the only furnishings... Otherwise, it was empty, save for the countless slaves who lay half collapsed on the floor, Akinyi helping the tired Serena to the ground...

She sighed in relief as her aching muscles finally got rest... She had been washing and chopping for hours... Serena had never worked that hard in her life...

As she sat there, she noticed the other white in the corner... She lay there crosslegged, staring silently at the ground, as if thinking deeply about something...

“Her name is Azmera...” Said Akinyi to her white friend, knowing Serena had been especially curious to know about her...

“One of the slaves died last night, we didn’t have enough to man the kitchen, so the head slave master’s assistant went out to the fields to buy us a new one... They found her farming with her mother and bought her from her owner... She will be ok Serena, she is just having a hard time getting used to it here, she is a crop slave like I used to be...” 

Serena stared at the girl, she never thought they’d be so cruel... But that didn’t explain everything...

“Wait... But why could she not understand me? Has she been in this kingdom long?” Serena asked the black girl, wondering if she too will lose her English skills over time...

“You do not understand Serena, she was born in this kingdom...” 

Serena’s eyes widened, she wasn’t a kidnapping victim like her, she must have been born into this life...

“S-so... She’s always been a slave?”

Nodding, Akinyi put her arm around her pale friend... She felt sorry for those who were born a slave, she had at least had freedom in the early days of her existence....

“Her name means harvest, she was designated a field slave at birth, most whites here are... They’re easier to spot than us blacks, especially when they attempt to run off, so they’re slowly becoming more popular as the supplies of them increase... There are a lot of Azmera’s in the fields, the name has become quite common I am told...”

Serena turned to face her friend with an increased shock, surprised at how she spoke of slaves as if they were factory goods, products made to be shipped off and used... She couldn’t believe what she was hearing, how could Akinyi speak so casually of this life, like it was a normal existence for either of them?

“I don’t understand one thing though.. You say white slaves work mostly in the fields... Why did they buy her, of all people?” Asked the inquisitive slave girl, it made no sense to her...

“Oh, they did not pick her for her colour... In fact, she cost much more than a black slave would, white’s are still relatively uncommon in this land... But none of the owners had any black slaves to sell, and they didn’t have time to continue their search, so they had to choose her... It’s a pity the market was empty today, they could have gone there instead... I feel she did not deserve what she has gotten...” Said Akinyi with a hint of sympathy towards the girl, being separated from her family must be tough...

“I see... I hope they let her see her mom again soon.... I think if I were to stay on good behaviour, I could convince Iris to-“

Akinyi shook her head, Serena going quiet... Clearly, she was thinking too hopefully...

“I’m afraid her owner made clear that he did not want her back again... Apparently she had been quite difficult to manage at times, he seemed glad to be rid of her...”

Serena said nothing in response, she just felt sad now, this was not fair, this was not fair at all...

“But do not worry Serena... She will return to the fields very soon, perhaps she will meet her mother again there, should her new owners live close enough that is...” Explained the black girl, her words attempting to be reassuring, but only worrying Serena more...

“New owners? She’s gonna be sold again?”

The black slave nodded in response to Serena’s question...

“There is little use for her here... She is a field slave, she has no training in the household... I’ve heard she may be sold in a few days time, if not sooner, the head slave master says he hopes to get 2 or 3 black slaves for the girl...”

This was way too much... Serena felt sick just hearing it...

She sat there in silence as the other white slave stood up to move to another part of the room, one of the black slave’s noticing and putting out her leg...

Azmera went flying as the darker slave purposefully tripped her, slamming into the wooden floor as the other slaves chuckled...

Serena stood up in an instant, Akinyi guiding her to the other girl to ensure she did not fall victim to the same “accident”, both slaves reaching her as she lay on the floor, wincing, clutching her side...

Putting out her paler hand towards the fallen girl, Azmera took it, letting the slave girls help her up, Serena glaring angrily at the black who had tripped the field girl...

The black slave returned her glare harshly, suddenly standing up, the other slaves behind her following suite, a gang of them now facing the three, they would not let a white stare at them like that!

It was a good thing Akinyi stood herself between them, quickly explaining the situation, the other slave’s backing down... They knew they could not attack the Queen’s wife without harsh penalties... Even they were not so stupid as to defy their ruling mistress...

Slowly, the three girls headed towards the door to the room, holding Azmera secure, she needed to get away from these bullies...

*********************************************

Groaning in agony, Azmera was led by both girls down one of the lesser used hallways, one of the few places other than the slave quarters where they were permitted to rest, granted they kept out of the way...

They laid her down beside a wall, the white girl clutching her side painfully, she had hit the floor pretty hard...

“Akinyi, we need to get her a doctor, this could be serious!” Serena said in panic, looking around for another friendly face that could assist them...

“Serena, we cannot do that! It is not how it works here! Please just help her get comfortable, I’ll try to see if she’s injured...” Akinyi ordered almost like a mistress, she did not have time to explain the hows and whys to her fellow slave girl... Slave’s did not get treated for anything... And this slave needed to be checked over, even if by somebody with no formal medical experience...

She spoke to the girl, reassuring her as she pressed her side, the girl wincing, Akinyi moving her touch to see where it was worst, trying to make sure she had not broken anything...

Conversing and examining her, the prognosis was good... Azmera did not appear to have any major injuries... She certainly had hurt herself, perhaps even bruised her rib... But she would live...

Serena was beginning to freak out, this didn’t seem good...

“How is she!? Is she hurt!? What should I-“

“Please be quiet!” Snapped Akinyi, Serena falling into a stunned silence...

“I am sorry Serena, but you must understand, I need to concentrate... If you must know, she has no broken bones, I just need to check her for any immediate bruising, so please settle down...” Akinyi explained, Serena nodding, she understood, she would be silent...

The black girl checked further, no bruising so far, but there would be soon... This was normal though, Azmera would be fine, albeit bruised and sore for a few days...

She turned back to Serena, giving her a nod, making her friend grow angry at how Azmera had been treated...

She stood up, marching back towards the slave quarters!

Within moments, Akinyi was with her, tugging the white girl back towards Azmera, Serena pulling against her grip, why was she stopping her!?

“Let me go Akinyi! I’m not letting those degenerates get away with hurting her like that!” Shouted the white slave, the black girl keeping her grip, taking advantage of Serena’s tiredness as the pale girl’s energy left her, crossing her arms as Akinyi dragged her back to their patient...

“You cannot confront them Serena, they would have beaten you had I not intervened!”

She took this explanation begrudgingly, laying herself flat on the floor as her black friend joined her, all three slaves sat on the ground...

Serena turned to Akinyi, worn out, but also concerned for their friend’s welfare...

“Can you translate for me? I must speak to her, please...”

Akinyi knew not why Serena was taking such interest in this girl, she herself had known many slaves with stories far worse than Azmera’s... But she could not deny her friend the opportunity to converse with this slave... Perhaps it would benefit her understanding of how things worked around here, both as a slave, and as a white...

She informed Azmera of Serena’s wishes, the slave looking confused as she replied directly back to the other white slave, Akinyi putting her lips next to Serena’s ear once more to translate...

“Talk to me?”

Serena nodded, smiling as she did, she wanted to seem friendly to this girl...

“Well... I don’t know why... But alright...” Azmera replied, a clear sadness to her voice... She was still coming to terms with the events of the day, talking was not what she particularly wanted... But, considering she was new here, perhaps she would find it if use to talk to this girl... Maybe she could help her with the kitchen work, she was so unused to it...

“I’m sorry for what they did to you... The black slaves... I used to get picked on in school, when I was the new kid, so I get how it must feel...” Said Serena, not fully understanding why they had tripped her...

Azmera was stunned... She knew not why she spoke of going to school... The concept itself was of the higher classes in the tribe, and reserved only for the blacks... No white had ever gone to a school to learn, only to serve... So why did she say such things?

“Do you mean you were owned by a school? I thought such slaves would not be at the palace, how did you end up in this place?”

Puzzled, Serena shook her head, why was this so confusing to her...

“No, no... I _went_ to school, when I was younger, didn’t you?”

Azmera went silent... This woman was crazy...

Serena quickly changed the subject, clearly they had not decided to educate the other slave...

“Well, either way, I’m sorry they decided to bully you just for being new...”

“New? Why would they bully me for that? Many slave’s must come and go here, they surely do not trip all of them too...” Azmera replied with increased confusion... She could not make sense of Serena...

“Well I don’t know why else they would target another slave, you hadn’t been bothering them had you?” Enquired Serena, Azmera sighing, frustrated, what was wrong with this girl!?

“Look, we both know why they did that... Let us not speak of it any more... I do not like to dwell on such things...” She said moodily, crossing her arms, wincing as she inadvertently touched her side again...

“I don’t know why, why do you seem to think I do?” The other white asked, Serena had to know what Azmera meant, what was so obvious that she was missing...

The white girl turned her back to Serena, huffing... This girl was wasting her time...

“Akinyi, what is she on about!?” Serena asked, the strangeness of the situation baffling the girl...

“Serena... Look at her, then look at me... She was targeted for one thing only... She is a white... Must you still talk to her?” Akinyi replied, sounding worn out herself, she wished Serena would just understand...

The white slave nodding, Akinyi sighed, getting ready to translate again... This was so pointless...

“Azmera, wait... I’m sorry... I’m new to this kingdom, I did not realise they picked on white’s... I didn’t mean to annoy you, honest...”

Azmera turned back, her curiosity piqued... A new slave? And a white like her no less!

“New? You are from the homeland? My grandmother used to speak of such a place, it sounded magnificent... Tell me, what is it like?” Azmera said with great interest, Serena unsure of how she was going to condense her entire culture into a few sentences...

“Well... It’s bigger than this place, the buildings are bigger too, and stronger... We have all sorts of fun places to go, there’s an art museum, and this beautiful tower... And white’s aren’t slaves there, in fact, nobody is a slave in Kalos... We all live together, regardless of our differences... It isn’t perfect, there’s still a lot of discrimination towards black people... But we’re getting much better Azmera...”

The field slave was stunned... A land in which her people were not slaves? A land with no slaves at all? Where her people had built beautiful things for themselves? It all seemed too good to be true, especially Serena’s last point...

“So... In this land, the blacks are themselves treated as lesser, like us?” Asked Azmera, surely such a world could not exist, white’s had never even been free, let alone been above those of darker skin...

“Somewhat so... But it is not a good thing Azmera, they are not like the people here, they are good people...” Serena explained to the field girl...

“Such a world cannot exist... The blacks would never allow themselves to be treated as inferior... And they are not good people, Serena... Your friend here is one of the good ones, I will admit, and I am grateful she has shown me care... But I will never believe in a land where all of them treat us fairly...”

Serena was stunned beyond words... You can’t say stuff like that!

“Azmera, that’s so racist! Don’t you understand how cruel we had been to them in the past!? They were slaves too, that’s one of the reasons they live in my region!”

Azmera suddenly stood up angrily, fighting her pain, this joke had gone on long enough...

“How dare you make up such lies! After all I’ve had to go through, you expect me to feel sorry for the blacks!? You expect me to believe that we’ve been on top!? That they had been **our** slaves!? You should be ashamed of yourself!” She shouted, tears forming in her eyes, storming off and away from the other two slaves, Serena having no clue what had made her so upset...

She turned to Akinyi, who was glaring at her, she knew this was a bad idea...

“What’s wrong with her!? I told her the truth, it’s what really happened... I wasn’t making that stuff up, why did she leave?”

Akinyi was done with her friend’s naivety, it was getting them into a lot of trouble, Serena needed to understand once and for all just how destructive she was being...

“You cannot say such things to a white!! You know they are treated worse than even us black slaves, you know how hard their lives are! Don’t you understand that you’ve made her upset!? All she’s wanted in life was to be free, to not be treated like dirt for who she was... She has good reason to hate the blacks, you saw as much earlier Serena... To tell her she is wrong for thinking of them as bad people, after the way she had been treated, is cruel... To her, they **are** bad people! Try to understand Serena, I do not wish to speak to you in this way... But you are hurting people now, and I cannot let you continue to make things harder for me, you, and now her... It is difficult enough here as it is... Please stop making it worse...”

The white girl looked down in shame, understanding just what she had done... She was used to the old ways... To her home... What was unthinkable there was usual here... She got it now, how harsh she had been with Azmera... Serena needed to make it up to her...

*********************************************

Akinyi tried to stop Serena as she barged back into the slave quarters, the occupants all turning to stare at her as she made her way through, approaching Azmera, who sat huddled in a corner, as far from the others as she could be...

She glared up at Serena as she came towards her, saying something harsh back in her language, Akinyi letting out a stressful, frustrated groan as she realised she was gonna have to translate again...

“Azmera, I’m not here to argue... I’m here to apologise... Please, I didn’t mean to upset you...” Said Serena apologetically, she felt terrible for having been so mean to her fellow slave...

“I do not wish to speak to you Serena, you knew what you were saying was hurtful, didn’t you?” Azmera spat back, she had no time for Serena’s games...

“No, you don’t understand, I had no idea what I was saying was gonna make you so emotional... Please... I want to apologise...” Serena practically begged, wanting to make things right....

The other slave still felt angry at the girl... But she seemed genuine... There were no others here who would show kindness to her... Perhaps she should give her a second chance...

“I... I believe you... You are new, as you said... You might not know how everything works here... But this doesn’t mean I want to talk right now... I need to be alone, I’m sorry...” Azmera said to Serena, her voice sad, her anger softened... She might one day find a friend in this odd new slave girl... But it would not be today...

Serena gave an understanding nod, she knew Azmera must be feeling all sorts of emotions after all that had happened...

With Akinyi’s arm around her shoulder, she turned towards the door and walked away, glancing back at her newfound ally as Azmera resumed staring at the floor, dealing as best she could with the hardship that had so often been forced upon her...

*********************************************

The slaves walked together towards the throne room, Serena’s arms and legs at least a bit more rested now.. She could face the rest of the day, whatever it would bring...

As they entered the room, the guards watching them intently, the white slave heard a harsh whistle, the girl jumping before turning to look at the source of the noise...

Iris was seated firmly on her large throne, looking glorious... The Queen sat with one leg crossed over the other, somewhat causal for a monarch, Serena thought, but she was not about to question it in any way... She’d learnt enough about the consequences earlier...

The royal mistress whistled again, focusing on Serena, her gaze unbroken on the pale girl...

“Serena, come here girl...” She said, calling her slave over like a dog, both girls beginning to walk towards her royal highness...

But then, Iris held up her hand, the two slaves coming to a halt...

“I said Serena... Akinyi, you may go...” Ordered the Queen in a stern tone, she wanted to speak in relative privacy...

“Yes mistress...” Akinyi replied in obedient tone, taking her leave as Serena turned to her, she didn’t want to be left alone with her owner!

“Serena!” Shouted Iris, her slave’s heart racing as she swiftly turned to face her mistress, the Queen beckoning her over with her finger...

Nervously, the white girl shuffled towards the black Queen, stopping only once she could go no further, her sore, worn out feet mere inches from touching Iris’s soft, comfortable ones...

“Good girl Serena... Now, tell me how you got on, did you do much work today?” Enquired her majesty, her voice softening ever so slightly... She would hear what her slave had to say, then she’d decide wether she was pleased or angered...

“Y-yes mistress, I ch-chopped a lot of vegetables, and washed up, I spent hours at it mistress...” Serena nearly mumbled as she spoke, too scared to give her voice any significant volume...

Iris’s face lost all warmth, her voice becoming sharp, piercing into Serena’s nerves like daggers....

“Did your arms grow tired, and your legs grow weak?”

Serena nodded speedily in fear...

“Speak girl!”

“Y-yes mistress!” Serena blurted out, feeling like her heart could burst from the tension...

A wicked smile, what could be called an evil grin, spread across the Queen’s face...

“Good....”

Serena shook, standing there, almost not registering that one word, expecting something more, something worse...

“I-It is, mistress?” The slave asked hesitantly...

“Yes... It is very good... After how you’d acted earlier, I wanted to make sure you received a punishment, but one that would help you grow as a slave... I’m glad to see that it has, you are clearly more obedient than you usually are...”

Unsure what to say, Serena just stood there, staring at the Queen, Iris smirking as Serena gazed at her like a lost puppy...

“Aww, come here my dear, come to mistress...” Cooed the Queen, arms open wide, Serena having no choice but to comply if she wanted to keep Iris happy...

The slave allowed herself to sit on Iris’s lap, the Queen’s ebony arms wrapping around the girl, holding her close as she tensed up, fists clenching, body flat, her arms pinned to her sides...

Iris noticed, and chuckled, giving her slave a gentle squeeze...

“Please do not be afraid, I’m not mad anymore Serena, I’m happy, happy because of you, because you did what I wanted you to do... You should feel proud of yourself, my sweet...” Praised the Queen, kissing Serena on the forehead, the girl relaxing very slightly into her mistress’s hold... Iris could be cruel, and harsh... But when in the right mood, she could show great comfort and kindness... 

All Serena had to do was keep her sweet, and she’d be ok...

The moment was interrupted somewhat by one of the slave’s walking in and bowing, speaking directly to the Queen as Serena sat in silence, hoping for good news...

They briefly conversed before the Queen smiled down at her prize, Serena’s anxious gaze lifting to meet hers...

“Are you hungry, my love?” Iris asked as she stroked the length of Serena’s hair...

“V-very...” Admitted the slave girl, she had been driven mad in that kitchen, around so much food, so many wonderful smells, but being able to eat none of it...

“Well then, Serena, let us rise... It’s dinner time....” Said Iris happily, Serena feeling relieved... She would be getting a good meal after her hard work... The white slave hoped that, as they ate, they’d be able to avoid any awkward dinner table conversation... She’d been given many second chances...

And Serena very much doubted that her mistress would be willing to give her any more...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took a while to write this one, hopefully it is worth it :3
> 
> I’ve also introduced yet another new character, Azmera, the field slave turned palace slave, new to the building like Serena, but much more experienced in the ways of her people.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this one, Chapter 12 will be here before you know it <3


	12. Some Things We Cannot Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> About to go to a dinner with her mistress Iris, Serena’s life couldn’t be more different right now than Azmera’s, who struggles to come to terms with the day’s events...

_Earlier that day, in the fields outside bewenizu āt’egebi...._

Azmera huffed as she heaved the large wooden wheelbarrow through the field, being careful to run it over the areas that had already been harvested... She had walked over a freshly seeded patch once, and known her master’s wrath for it...

Beside her stood a woman who looked to be in her mid to late thirties, the white slave’s mother, tanned just like her daughter, who was a practical tintype of the older slave..

She helped her daughter push the wheelbarrow along, trying her best despite having endured decades of near endless work, her body in a sorry state as a result...

They finally reached the edge of the crops, brown dirt meeting with green vegetation, the field seeming to burst with life....

Both slave’s remained silent as they began their work, pulling up the plants one by one, a long, white root vegetable being revealed, and chucking it onto the wheelbarrow, harvesting the crops under the hot, unforgiving sun...

Azmera had done this for many years now, ever since she was old enough to follow orders.... And she had known no other life... Her name had meant “harvest”, after all, it was expected that she’d be good with this kind of work...

She was nearing 20 now, although she knew not her exact age... That information was held on her slave registration, which in turn was held by both her master and the village... All she knew was that she was a young woman...

As they toiled under the harsh heat, Azmera noticed something out of the corner of her eye, a figure was approaching them...

She lifted her gaze from her work to look at this new visitor, a black man of average height, clean and well groomed... He was clearly not a farmer like her master, he seemed to have come from the village...

Her mother discretely moved closer to her as he came nearer, cautious... You had to be careful around the blacks, they would not hesitate to take advantage of a white, and her daughter was a prime target...

Both women ceased their work, keeping their eyes low, waiting for him to come to them, they would not dare speak out of turn...

He stopped a short distance away, the two white slaves glancing up at him with a deep fear...

“You there girl! Tell me, who is your master?” He shouted to Azmera, her mother moving slightly nearer to her daughter, wary of this man...

“Hailemariam Admassu... S-sir...” Answered the girl, her tone obedient, she had been taught to speak as slaves should... Those who had the wrong tone were often beaten for it...

Without even giving so much as a thank you, the man nodded, turning around and walking off, a feeling of dread filling her mother...

But it was not shared by her daughter... She simply resumed her work, thinking nothing of the brief exchange... Perhaps he had some slaves to sell to her master, they could certainly do with some extra help out here...

The mother, not wishing to scare her daughter, stayed quiet, getting back to her task whilst keeping a lookout for both the man and their master... If what she thought was happening was indeed taking place, then she could do nothing to stop it...

A while later, Azmera noticed two figures in the distance... She recognised them, the man from earlier, but also her master... Hopefully it was good news... She had been having trouble with the work here recently, the assistance of another slave would benefit them greatly...

But the two men walked alone, the stranger carrying some items in his hand, Azmera growing worried as she noticed what they were, a large, heavy leather collar, and what looked to be shackles, the metal glinting slightly in the bright sun...

Nervously, the slave moved to her mother, the older woman clutching her close as they drew near, she had feared this would happen someday...

“Azmera! Come here!” Ordered Admassu, his voice loud and stern, the dominant voice of her master filling the white girl with the utmost fear...

Frozen with terror, Azmera could only cling harder to her mother as her master approached, angered by his slave’s refusal to come to him...

He grabbed her, rough black hands tugging the white away from the protection of her mother, the two slaves clinging desperately to each other, the woman scared of losing her only daughter...

Violently, he smacked the older white, his hand colliding with her face, knocking her backwards into the dirt as he thrust Azmera towards him, the girl struggling hard against his grip...

“Mum! Mum!” She shouted frantically, the woman staring back with a helpless sorrow... For years, she had protected her daughter from the worst horrors of a slave’s life...

But it was too late now... She could do nothing...

Frustrated by his difficult slave, Admassu began to beat Azmera on her sunburnt back, the girl hollering in pain as he made her pay for her defiance!

She was dragged kicking to her new owner, the strange man who had approached them earlier, the girl staring at her new black master with horror, pulling against him as she was handed to the man...

Azmera was thrown to the ground, the man holding her down as he roughly shoved the collar around her neck, the poor girl screaming as he tightened it painfully, nearly choking the white slave as she screamed...

“ **MUM!!!!! MUUUUUUUUM!!!!!!!!** ” Cried the girl, the man hoisting her up and forcing her to stand in place as Admassu started to attach the shackles...

She put up a good fight, but it was a hopeless cause... Every tug against her superiors earned her a harsh slap, their frustration towards the white girl evident...

The new man now holding the rope that led to her collar, the girl screamed as he began to forcefully drag her away, her feet pushing firmly against the loose soil as they started to take her away from her mother...

“ **MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUM!!!!!!!!!!!** ” The pale slave screeched as she was dragged off, her new owner becoming enraged at the piercing sound, it was giving him a headache!

“Shut it palmskin!!!” Shouted the man as he began to beat her mercilessly, her mother running to try and get to her daughter, stopped only by Admassu as he tripped her, dragging her back, she was still his property!

“Azmera!!! Azmera I love you! I love you!!!” Shouted the older woman as her master held her still, keeping her away from the recently sold white...

“ **MUUUUuuUuuuuUuuuuuuUuuuuUUUUUUm!!!!!!** ” Wailed the white girl as her owner shoved her into the dirt, kicking his slave as she lay helplessly in the soil, continuing the attack until the girl fell silent...

He forced her back up and dragged her away, the girl starting to sob as she turned to watch her mom being led away by her owner Admassu, she did not know a life without her protection, she didn’t want to go!

But Azmera had no choice... She had been sold now, there was no going back...

Azmera was forced to watch as her mother became further and further away from her, the younger slave’s owner dragging her, scolding her, the girl unsure of where she was headed, knowing only that she was being led towards the village, towards-

*********************************************

The white girl came back to reality, yelping loudly as a dark foot came flying inches from her face, backing herself against the wall of the slave quarters as the black slaves chuckled at her fear... 

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I scare you sweetie?” Asked one of the black girl’s with a grin, Azmera shaking in shock...

“I am most sorry, here, let me make it up to you...” The dark slave said, pretending to help Azmera up, letting her fall just before she was able to stand, the white girl slamming painfully back into the wall...

She glared as the other slaves laughed, feeling a deep anger growing within as they toyed with her...

“J-just back off ok!” Yelled the pale slave, the blacks laughing in response to her anger...

“Now now, I wouldn’t shake like that if I were you, milk... You might end up spilling yourself!” Exclaimed one of the black girls as the whole group roared with laughter, Azmera shaking with anger now, not just fear...

She stood up in confrontation, the blacks demeanours changing as the white slave girl showed some backbone...

“Stop it girl... You know what your master would do to you if I told them you hurt us... It would be our word against yours, so sit down for me sweetie...” 

Hating them deeply, Azmera obeyed, sitting back down... A white could be flogged for hurting a black...

“Good girl, there there...” The black girl said patronisingly, patting the white slave’s head as if she were a pet, Azmera angrily pushing her arm away!

The darker girl slammed her against the wall, her hands around the girl’s already bruised throat, she wasn’t gonna take that from a white!

“If you ever do that again, we will get you punished, so don’t you try it, palmskin!” The black slave warned, letting the pale teen go, Azmera falling straight back to the ground, tears building in her tired eyes...

“We only tolerate you because we have to, stop pushing your luck... A filthy white like you should feel lucky she doesn’t have to dig in the dirt anymore... Even if it is where you belong...” The black girl said with a smirk, finally leaving the white alone as she sat there on the brink of tears, quickly pulling her knees back to cover her face... She needed another cry...

*********************************************

The dining room of the palace was magnificent... A long table stretched the length of the room, which was more like a great hall, the high ceiling giving the room a grand atmosphere...

Queen Iris, in all her glory, strolled through the doorway, her wife by her side, one of the other slaves moving back Iris’s throne like chair, letting the Queen sit at the very end of the large table, Serena taking a seat next to her...

Other people soon filled the room, those who worked at the palace as free men, Azmera’s new owner taking a seat not far from Serena, the slave unaware of his significance, nor the significance of the man sat next to him...

Sat next to this man was another man, taller, thick muscles showing he had great strength... Although for what, Serena did not know...

The white girl said no words to her mistress, or the other people who had joined them... She just sat there in complete silence until a team of slaves came in with the food...

They carried a large tub of what looked to be some kind of stew, Serena recognising the long vegetables she had chopped earlier floating amongst many other things...

Baskets of bread, fluffier than that which Serena had enjoyed earlier, were brought round also, each person getting their own basket, the slaves doing their work swiftly...

They poured a bowl of the stew for everyone, Serena included, the slaves standing out of the way, against the walls, as everybody began to eat...

Some dipped the bread in, letting it soak and eating the results, whilst others simply drank from their bowls, enjoying the meal directly...

Serena, sensing she should eat also, grabbed some of her bread, dipping a tiny corner in and nibbling it... It was a good stew, slightly bitter, but this worked to its advantage, mixing well with the other flavours to make the taste strong...

The slave enjoyed her meal, realising she must be the first white to ever sit at this table... The thought would have concerned her had she not known of this land... But now that she was here, it made perfect sense, it was how her superior’s wished to live after all...

As they ate, Iris broke off a piece of bread, holding it next to her large head of hair... A curious green mouth poked out, grabbing the bread with its little jaws, before retreating back inside...

Everybody having had their fill, the room slowly emptied, Iris and Serena now the only souls within, save for a slave who stood nearby, just in case the Queen required her for anything...

As Iris finished her meal finally, Serena cleared her throat, her owner turning to face her white slave...

“What is it Serena... Do you have something to say?” Enquired her majesty, using a cloth to wipe her face of the stew...

“I.... Yes, mistress... There is another of my kind, wh-who used to work in the fields.... She has been brought today to work in the kitchen instead.... She is due to be sold soon, but, I was hoping her majesty could see to it... Th-that she stays here?” 

Serena felt unsure of wether she should have said that statement... She knew Iris had little sympathy for slaves other than her wife... And Akinyi had warned against suggesting such a thing...

The Queen tutted a little, her wife did ask for a lot... But she would at least give her a rejection... Maybe that would calm her...

“There is no way I would keep a field white like her in my palace any longer than necessary... Such slaves are filthy, I feel somewhat disappointed that Ayele had his apprentice pick up such a thing... I will be glad to get rid of her, the poor thing probably misses the dirt...” Responded the Queen, shooting down any hopes Serena had of protecting Azmera... But she still had to try...

“I-I understand mistress... B-but, could I not have her as my assistant? I would feel happier around people of my own t-type...” Serena said, regretting the words the moment they left her mouth, she was in no position to counter the Queen’s statements...

“Your assistant? Akinyi is not doing well enough then?” Iris asked, the white slave shaking her head, that isn’t what she meant!

“No! Akinyi is a very good assistant and friend to me, y-your majesty.... I j-just wish to have another of my kind by my side, it would help me feel more at home....” Explained the pale slave, Iris shaking her head slowly...

“No, my girl, I will not have a field slave as an assistant to my wife... There are other whites in the high households... I can buy one of them for you, if you do insist on having a white assistant... But the field slave will never be that... Soon she will be sold, and you will forget all about her...” Iris replied with not a hint of sympathy... The Queen would not allow such a slave to be in a position like that...

“B-but, mistress, please, she’s-“

“I said **NO!** ” Interrupted Queen Iris, slamming her fist down loudly on the table and silencing Serena in her begging... She was the Queen here, she owned Serena, and she wasn’t about to have her slave stress her out further...

Sighing, Serena lowered her head sadly... She knew she was defeated...

“Yes mistress....” replied Serena, the girl going quiet and still, she would not fight her on this... 

“Good girl... Now, let us retire to my quarters... I wish to rest, as I assume you do, my sweet...”

Serena simply nodded in response... She felt so worn out from the day... But she still felt conflicted about her friend, she wanted to help her have some security at least... And Serena knew Azmera was safer here than in those tough, harsh fields...

*********************************************

Azmera lay curled up on her side, laying down to rest as night began to fall, the other slaves getting ready to settle down... Well, most of them...

Nearby, the black slave who had taunted her stared at the white girl, a plan in mind... She hated the whites so much, they were dirty, she was glad to be a house slave... And she was gonna make sure the pale slave wouldn’t last another day...

Quietly, she creeped over, putting her lips near the resting slave’s ear... This was gonna be fun...

“ **Aaaaaaaah!!!!** ” Screamed the black slave, screaming right into Azmera’s face, the white girl jumping from her slumber and slamming herself into the corner, breathing fast, heart beating like crazy, terrified!

The dark girl broke out into laughter, cackling as Azmera stared at her in confusion and fear, what had happened!?

Once the slave had managed to compose herself, she stared down at the pale teen, a smug smile on her face...

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I wake you? I must have had a nightmare, I do apologise...” Said the slave insincerely, mocking the white girl, Azmera’s fear turning to anger again as she grew tired of the black girl’s bullying, she’d had enough...

The dark slave noticed as the light teen glared at her with rage, smirking at the sight...

“Hehe, don’t worry my little palmskin, you’ll get to be a dirt digger again in no time...”

Azmera lost all self control as she lunged for her, screaming in anger, tackling the black girl to the floor as the other slave’s crowded around to watch!

“Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!” Chanted the crowd of slaves, watching as both women grappled, grabbed and hit at each other, dispersing only as loud footsteps signalled the arrival of the master...

“ **STOP THIS!!!** ” Blared a deep, booming voice, both slaves ceasing their fight as they turned to see who had spoken, the black slave knowing the voice well...

It was the taller man who had been at the dinner table earlier, Ayele, head slavemaster at the palace, the one overruling voice that commanded those at the bottom of their society....

“What happened here!? Who started this!?” Asked Ayele in anger, the black slave suddenly bursting into tears, crying on cue...

“I-I-I-It was her!” The black slave said through her sobs, the white girl’s eyes widening in shock as she realised what the black girl was doing....

“Is this true palmskin!?” He asked the pale slave, the poor girl lost for words, her dark counterpart seizing the opportunity to make the situation go even more in her favour...

“Y-yes, she did! I didn’t even do anything t-to her!” Cried the other slave, discreetly grinning at Azmera as she pretended to cry, knowing the word of a black is worth more than that of a white...

Ayele started to approach the light girl, Azmera backing off slowly as he came near, this was bad, this was really bad!

“N-no please master, I-I didn’t mean to hurt her, I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Begged the white teen, Ayele unimpressed with her pitiful attempt to make up for her actions....

“You dare try to apologise now girl, after what you’ve done!?!?” Shouted Ayele, his voice filled with anger, his fists tightening as he began to corner the frightened white...

“Yes yes sir I’m sorry please, I-I-“

He grabbed the white girl by her sides, lifting her up before chucking her straight towards a wall, the girl flying haphazardly through the air before slamming into the hard wood and coming to rest on the floor, cowering in fear as soon as she was able to compose herself...

Ayele angrily stormed back over to her as she lay there in pain, he was gonna make this bitch understand just how angry he could be...

Azmera covered herself with her arms and legs, shaking, her body feeling on fire from the impact, helpless to stop her master as his footsteps got closer and closer, this would be her end...

But suddenly, a figure stood between the two, Akinyi standing her ground in front of Ayele, stopping him from coming any closer to Azmera....

“Stay away from her!!” Yelled the black girl in defiance, Azmera still cowering in fear, expecting her beating to come any time now...

“Move aside Akinyi, this does not concern you...” Said the man sternly, only to have the dark girl shake her head, she would not move for him...

“Move!!! That is an order!!!!!” He yelled at Akinyi, the black slave unchanged by his tone, she would not let him near her white friend...

“Ayele! If you hurt her, with your strength, she will not live!!!” Warned the girl, Ayele was a strong man, he could break bones with his blows....

“Good, it’s what she deserves...” The master said coldly, he really meant to do her harm... Even if it killed her.

He tried to move forward again, but Akinyi would not step aside, Ayele growing angrier at her refusal to obey...

“If you hurt her again Ayele, I shall tell the Queen you killed her unprovoked... It would be the word of her favourite slave against the word of a slavemaster...” Threatened Akinyi, Ayele knowing she was right... He might be the head slavemaster... But she was the Queen’s favourite and highest slave, other than her wife, she could see to it that he was let go from his position....

Hesitantly, his fists unclenched, the man feeling humiliated, put in his place by a mere slave girl...

“Very well Akinyi... But the girl will be sold tomorrow then... She may not be able to fear my hand anymore, but she will learn to fear one of a new master...” Replied Ayele with hatred in his voice.... He knew that, even if he could not punish her, he would have no issue letting some harsher master have a go...

Akinyi nodded, and the man took his leave, leaving through the main doorway, the white slave still in her same position, too scared to move...

The black girl dropped down to Azmera’s side, rubbing her head, speaking softly to her...

“Sister, sister, please, it is ok, you are safe now...” Said Akinyi in reassurance, the pale teen slowly opening her eyes, looking up at the woman who had just saved her...

“H-he left?” She asked, somewhat confused, no master had ever held off from punishing her before....

“Yes... I am close to the Queen, I was able to use that to keep him at bay... But I’m afraid he plans to sell you tomorrow, I can do nothing to stop him in that regard...” The black girl said sadly, Azmera filling with dread at the news, but relieved that she would not be punished here anymore... At least, not as harshly as he had planned...

“Th-thank you... I.... don’t know what to say... Nobody has ever done that for me before...” Azmera replied, showing her gratitude...

“It is alright, you have no need to thank me... I saw what happened, you had every right to attack her...” Akinyi said, making sure she was out of earshot of the other black girl, who was currently glaring at the pair... This wasn’t meant to go like that... That white was meant to be beaten black and blue!

But she too wouldn’t dare harm the girl after Akinyi’s threat... Her master would simply lose his job from Akinyi’s action... She could earn a fate that was much, much worse...

Azmera winced as pain began to return to her as the shock died down, Akinyi examining her where she’d hit the wall, finding she had not appeared to break anything... But she was quite badly bruised already... Either way, she would recover...

For now though, Akinyi sat near the girl, giving her any comfort she could as the other slaves started to settle down once more... She could not save her from the market tomorrow... But she could keep her safe for tonight...

*********************************************  
Serena lay awake in the Queen’s bed, the room lit only by a small lantern, Iris and Axew already fast asleep... But Serena wasn’t...

Try as she might, she couldn’t sleep, knowing about Azmera’s plight... She had just been separated from her own mother, sold like livestock... It wasn’t right... Serena knew it wasn’t right... But she also knew there was nothing she could do about it...

She’d always thought life was fair... Back home, her family had little misfortune in their lives, and she had a fairly successful career. Life was good there...

But Serena realised now that, that had only been _her_ experience. There were others in Kalos, others who struggled to make a living. Serena hadn’t helped them, and she felt terrible for it now, now that she was herself in quite a tough situation...

But there was nothing she could do to help Azmera. Her mistress had shut her down about it, and the buck stopped with her... Nobody was above the Queen...

She turned to stare at the ebony girl next to her, Iris sleeping soundly, cozily snug underneath the thick covers... She looked so harmless as she slept, so peaceful... In another world, perhaps she could have been a better person...

Then again, in another world, maybe she would have been a slave instead... Serena didn’t want to dwell on the notion, that in her world, at the right time, Iris wouldn’t have had a prestigious position at all...

It was tough to think on... Queen Iris radiated such power, such command... Serena almost couldn’t imagine her being anything else...

Feeling tiredness finally overcome her, Serena yawned softly, letting her body relax... She needed the rest...

*********************************************

Serena was awoken by a loud scream, the Queen and Axew following suite, all three sitting up (or in Axew’s case, poking his head out) as they heard the dreadful noise...

Without thinking, Serena leapt out of bed, ignoring the still somewhat drowsy shouting of the Queen as she ordered her slave to stay!

The teen burst through the door, running down the hallway before stopping dead in her tracks at the sight that came before her...

Azmera stood in the middle of the throne room, the large front doors to the palace open wide, letting in bright sunlight...

The white slave girl was currently struggling with Ayele and his apprentice, both men keeping a firm grip on her as she freaked out for seemingly no reason!

Trying to help, Serena began to sprint over to the trio, stopped only by Akinyi as she held her back, Ayele halting Azmera’s struggles with a firm punch to the gut...

“No! Stop! What are you doing to her!?!?” Exclaimed the confused and worried Serena, her friend having to exert all her strength to stop her from intervening...

“Serena stop! You can do nothing to change this!!!” Shouted Akinyi, she needed to get her white friend back to the Queen, she was clearly overwhelmed...

Serena struggled against her friend as she tried to reach Azmera, who was being forced to stand there as the apprentice brought forward the familiar leather collar, shoving it against her neck, making the white slave groan momentarily...

“Get that thing off of her!” Spat Serena through gritted teeth, the apprentice shouting words of warning to the white girl as he strapped the collar around her friend, Azmera shutting her eyes in discomfort, and perhaps fear...

He shackled her next, grabbing both her ankles and attaching the shackles there, ensuring she could not run off... Next were what looked like large wooden handcuffs, the area around them a block, like a small pair of stocks, weighing her down and ensuring she could not move her hands at all...

Azmera was forced to stand there, feeling humiliated and uncomfortable, both physically and mentally, as they secured her like a stubborn beast who was too wild to trust, it must be secured if you don’t want it to escape...

Angrily, Serena kicked against her friend, breaking from her grip and running towards Azmera before being grabbed from behind and dragged backwards, the firm hand of Queen Iris gripping Serena’s hair...

“Serena, cease your struggling!” Ordered Iris, her stern, commanding tone instantly making the white teen crumble... She went still and silent again... All hope was lost now that she was here...

The Queen smiled happily as she watched the final preparations finish on Azmera, Ayele tugging her forward, making her stumble as he began to lead her outside, they needed to reach market soon...

“See Serena, I told you she’d be gone soon... She’s a worthless slave, forget her, she will return to her true way of life...” Iris said in an attempt at reassurance, her white slave staring miserably at Azmera, unable to save her as the palace doors were shut, her friend looking at Serena one last time before they closed into place...

The sunlight was gone now, both any ray of hope or any pure, natural, cleansing light... All there was now was the orange glow of the torchlight and the certain knowledge that she had failed....

But Serena hoped, she hoped so deeply, that Azmera would be ok... Wether that meant going to a better owner, or even managing to escape, Serena just wanted her friend to be ok, to be safe, to be free....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry this one took longer than usual, been going through some stuff recently and haven’t been able to write so much.
> 
> I do wanna make it clear that this is only partly a smut story. For a lot of it, I will have serious chapters such as this, one’s where we see what happens to the characters.
> 
> I also hope people are enjoying this, I’ve been worried that the shift from an erotic feel to a more serious feel will make some people stop reading it. I myself wasn’t planning to take such a deep look at slavery, but when I started to think strongly on real slavery I felt it would be for the best.
> 
> If any of you have stuck through from chapter one, than I wanna say a big thank you. It can take time to write these, and think of the events that take place, and all the characters, so I’m grateful that anybody at all reads them <3


	13. Is This Love?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Separated after having only just met, Serena and Azmera have two very separate days...

Ayele held the white slave’s leash tight, the rope pulled taught as he led her down the palace steps, the teen struggling to keep her steps steady with her many restraints...

Azmera was walked through the village like cattle, making the girl feel utterly humiliated... Never before has she been in such a state, other than her arrival yesterday, and even then her restraints had been much less severe... Back in the fields, she had been often leashed at a younger age, but as she matured, her master trusted her enough, _just_ enough, that she could be without it...

But she was not in the fields anymore, although she knew she soon would be... And it would not be her same master, with her same... mother...

The pale slave choked back a sob, coming to a sudden halt as she became emotional, Ayele and his apprentice glaring at the girl as she refused to walk....

He stormed up to her, the fear building within making Azmera want to throw up...

Ayele grabbed her chin with his strong grip, forcing her to look up at him, the girl unable to so much as bring her hands up to defend herself...

“Listen here girl....” Ayele warned through gritted teeth, “I didn’t go through all this effort just to have you stand there.... I will not hesitate to add a gag, if what you already have isn’t bad enough for you...”

His tone suddenly changed, becoming softer, although not kinder...

“But I would not want to do that... You have such a nice, pretty face...” He said chillingly, caressing Azmera’s cheek with his hand, the white teen feeling like she wanted to die...

“And we want the people to see that pretty face, don’t we?” He asked in an almost hushed tone, forcing Azmera to nod with his grip, his words sending chills up the young woman’s spine...

“That’s a good girl... Now get moving!” Ayele ordered, his tone suddenly returning to its usual intensity as he shoved his hand against her back, making the girl take a few steps forward....

Then, they were walking again, the rope tugging once more as he led his property through the streets, he would not let her stop again without proper punishment... Those words had been a warning... And he would do much more than gag her were she to falter once more...

The white girl felt a sense of both relief and dread as the slave market came into view... It was nestled within the rest of the market area, right next to the fruit stalls and the pottery merchants.... The area also doubled as the livestock market too... In the eyes of the Zhireti, slaves and livestock were practically one and the same...

The pale teen was led up to a large raised wooden platform, big enough that all the slave traders and their property could stand on it... Tall poles lined the front of the area overlooking the market, the wood carved out in places for rope to be hooked through... 

Along many of them, slaves had been secured, some black, some white, some other races entirely, all of them having the same amount of rights... None....

Azmera shakily climbed the step up onto the platform, her owner holding her from behind... Ayele would not let her walk without him near, he had to keep her from trying anything stupid...

The white slave let out a small yelp as her shackles were removed and her hands were roughly forced behind her back, the teen being shoved against the pole as Ayele’s assistant began to tightly tie her wrists to it, the rope digging into her skin, Azmera feeling her hands turn slightly numb...

As they stood there, waiting for potential customers, there was a sudden commotion nearby!

A female slave, who looked to be of Indian descent, had managed to break free of her rope! She swiftly jumped down from the platform before running in panic, determined to find freedom...

But her escape attempt was cut horribly short, one of the many men at the market tackling the girl to the floor, making her cry out in pain as her master ran over to reclaim his property... And teach her a lesson too...

Azmera turned her head away, shutting her eyes tight as the sound of loud punching and screaming filled the market...

She heard desperate begging, cries of “no!”, tears welling up in her closed eyes as the white slave heard the sound of punishment, of a girl being shown by her master just why she doesn’t try to escape...

The light teen kept her eyes shut even as the screams and cries died down, the beating continuing, until even that noise disappeared, the sound of hard fists on delicate flesh becoming softer and softer before stopping altogether...

Her eyes dared not open, she wouldn’t look, she couldn’t look!

But then, her curiosity and dread got the better of her... Azmera opened her eyes...

And then promptly shut them again, the tears building up stronger, the brief image of a beaten slave flashing in her view before thankfully dissipating...

Azmera was brought back once more to her senses though as Ayele slapped her cheek, lifting her chin to force the girl to look at him...

“Don’t stand there with your eyes closed girl! You look lifeless... Keep them open or I force them open!” Threatened her master, Azmera quivering slightly... She had the safety of Akinyi (and to a lesser extent Serena) back at the palace, and she had her mother for safety before in the fields... But she was all alone here... The only person looking out for her was herself... And Azmera knew she didn’t have the mental strength to deal with this...

It wasn’t long before the first potential buyer came over... He was a short man, rounded out around the middle, despite the fact he was clearly a working man... He had no grand clothing about him... And he stank to high heavens... Even Ayele, the strong slave master, wrinkled his nose in disgust... 

“Gell fer sel eh?” Said the man with an incredibly thick accent, Ayele nodding, he wanted to get this over with...

“She sure is my friend, young and well trained in the fields, with some minor kitchen training too, looking to get a few blacks for her...” Said the white girl’s master, the shorter man losing interest quickly...

“No fenks... Got no uver slevs... Fenks eniway..” Spoke the man, walking away from them, all three of the group glad he was departing, Azmera most of all...

Next to come over was a woman, a scrawny white boy with her, young like Azmera, although it was pretty hard to tell with how little build he had... He could have been anywhere between 18 and 28, it was clear only that he was still quite a young man...

“Swap?” Asked the woman, tugging on the boy’s leash, making him step forward slightly, his gaze practically burying itself into the ground...

“No, only swapping for black slaves I’m afraid...” Explained Ayele, the boy lifting his gaze to stare into hers, a shared sadness in their eyes...

“You sure? He is a good boy, good for breedin’!” Said the woman as she forced him to spread his legs, the boy looking away out of embarrassment as he was forced to display himself to them...

“No, you do not understand, no exceptions... Only looking for black slaves...” He retorted, the woman knowing she was beat... She tugged his leash, leading the pale boy away... Azmera wished she could go with him... She hadn’t even seen many white male slaves before, she would like to get to know one someday...

After this, a pair of men walked forward, quite clearly farmers, an entourage of black slaves following behind them, six shackled together by their ankles...

“You looking to trade, my friend?” Ayele asked one of the men, who smiled and nodded in response...

“Yes... But I do not think I would like your slave... We need strong whites in our fields, she is a young thing...” Explained the man, Azmera feeling relieved... If these men had so many slaves to trade, then surely they were serious about owning them...

But Ayele was not deterred... He knew how to make a sale...

He grabbed the back of Azmera’s hair, holding her head still as he began to advertise her like a common product...

“Oh yes my friend, she is young indeed, young and pretty, aren’t you girl?” Ayele asked his slave, forcing her to nod with his hand, his other hand moving down to her chest...

“And see here, she has some good assets here too, she should be useful if you need a little _fun_ , if you know what I mean!” He said with a wink, grabbing and pulling on the girl’s breasts to demonstrate their texture and feel... Azmera felt so violated... Not even her old master had been able to touch her there, her mother had always found a way to distract him... But she wasn’t here anymore...

“Yes, I do see, but I need a **working** girl! If you have no other slaves, then you are wasting my time...” Said the man as he started to turn away, Ayele quick to reply...

“No no, you do not understand, she is a working girl by birth... She was born in the fields, her name is Azmera, third generation white slave, worked the fields her whole life... She can do any work you need, do not worry...” Said Azmera’s master, the man turning back to face them, the white girl wishing she could run and hide...

“Hmm... Perhaps with time, I could build her up... May I examine her?” Asked the man, Ayele giving him an affirmative nod, Azmera wanting to die...

He came up to her, feeling her chest for himself, the white girl looking away as he touched her, trying to ignore the urge to move away, knowing it was a hopeless want...

She felt her chin being grabbed next, the man turning her head to face him, looking her straight in the eyes, her fearful stare gazing almost blankly into his as she froze, he was so close to her, he was so much stronger... She wanted her mother to be there again, so badly.. She could’ve kept her safe...

He turned her head left and right, studying the slave’s visage, she was quite pretty, definitely pure, from good stock... 

He let her head go again, turning to Ayele, he was ready to buy her...

“I’ll take her... What is her price?” Asked the man, Azmera fighting to keep from showing any major emotions, the quieter she was, the better...

“Three blacks...” Answered her master, gesturing to the slaves being held by the other man... They stood there with little interest, not seeming particularly bothered by their situation... Unlike Azmera, they would be accepted easily by the other slaves once sold... And they were considerably less likely to encounter some of the more common horrors of a slave’s life... 

“I can do maybe two, these two...” The man said, pushing forward a man and a woman, a couple... They smiled at each other, glad their master wasn’t splitting them up... They both seemed deeply in love with each other... Azmera wondered exactly how that felt...

She loved her mother, sure, but that was purely paternal love... True love, love for another human being that you wish to spend your every waking moment with, to share all of life’s pleasures... She had never known that... She and her mother were the only lasting slave’s of Admassu... He sold most of his others, he did not own much land after all...

Azmera came back to reality as she saw the men shaking hands, her own wrists being untied as her new master began leading her down the steps, she was Ayele’s slave no longer... She belonged to these two men now, whoever they were...

They removed her shackles, holding the white girl still as they attached her ankles to the shackles of the other slaves, the two they had traded now safely with her old master, Ayele and his assistant even talking to them in conversation... They weren’t like her... They were slaves, sure, but they were blacks... They got something the young woman could only dream of... They got some recognition as people... Only some... But it was much more than she got...

Her attention was drawn away from the pair as the group began to move, the two men leading their slaves through the market, Azmera physically feeling the stares from the four black slaves shackled behind her, feeling them even though she was looking straight at the ground...

The two men kept them there a while, trying to swap their slaves with others, but they found no more success.... Giving up, they began to exit the market, they hadn’t had the worst day... Sure, they were now one slave less than before, but they finally owned a white... They would get their moneys worth out of the pale teen... No matter what...

*********************************************

The light slave girl panted, covered in sweat, her skin burnt a pink red as she and the others were walked through the fields, heading towards her owner’s home...

Azmera felt increased pressure to keep up the pace given her placement... Her masters had put her at the front of the group, if she slowed down, they slowed down... And the white teen was beginning to do just that...

“Hey, speed up!” Yelled one of the slaves behind her, poking the girl in her pale back, Azmera pushing herself to go faster, she had to, even though her legs felt like jelly, like at any moment she could just melt away...

The farmhouse appeared over the horizon, a decent sized hut, clearly where the slave quarters were... Next to that was a barn and another farmhouse, a nicer looking one... That would almost certainly be where her master’s lived...

The exhausted girl sat herself down on the dirt once her shackles were removed, finally allowing her to sit.... The ground felt like it was burning against her skin, both from the actual sunburn and the overwhelming heat of the day... But she didn’t get up... She needed the rest, badly...

Feeling a small kick in her side, Azmera looked up tiredly to see the frustrated face of one of her masters, the man staring down at her... She couldn’t tell wether there was a hint of anger or disgust in his face, either seemed possible.... Whatever case, he was clearly unhappy with her...

“Get up palmskin, we didn’t buy you to sit around, get to work!” Ordered the man, Azmera shakily getting to her feet, nodding her head in obedience, doing what her mother had taught her to do...

“Yes... master...” Said the white girl, a clear tiredness in her voice, but she did not give in to her want of rest... She had work to do, and she knew what would happen should she slack...

It was pretty standard work, much like in her old fields, the same vegetables needing harvesting.... She hated this work the most... Not because it was hard, but because the season only reminded her more of her purpose in life... She was a farm slave, a _harvest_ girl, no matter how badly she wished to be neither of those things...

She pulled up some of the familiar plants, chucking them in a nearby wheelbarrow, before taking a quick break to look over at her fellow slaves, Azmera bent over as she studied them, she needed to look like she was working...

They were fairly standard, black girls like she had worked with before, except... There was a black boy, her age too, dark and handsome, well toned... For a fleeting moment, Azmera let herself get lost in his image... Did she like him? Would he like her?

But then reality came back to her, and she remembered... She was a white, he was a black... And mother had always warned her about being careful around men, **especially** the blacks... Azmera hadn’t understood at the time... But if he was anything like her masters, then she certainly understood now... Or at least, Azmera thought she did...

It was somewhat unimportant now anyway.... He was working, she was working... Both slaves were just doing their jobs... She had no good reason to believe he was any less rational and kind than she was, even if he was a black...

The white slave returned to her work before her owners could notice her rest, getting back to pulling up plants as, unbeknownst to her, the black slave had noticed her...

He stared at her with lustful eyes, observing the white girl’s curves, she was a very well developed woman... He nearly felt himself drool as he ran his eyes up and down her body, leaving no area off limit, thankful that the white was busy working... He could have some fun...

The white girl worked calmly, unaware of what was about to happen... She hummed a tune, some old song from the homeland, humming to herself as she pulled up the vegetables and-

**SLAP!!!!!!!**

Azmera yelped, throwing the produce into the air as she felt a hard spank hit her behind, the girl almost stumbling over as she turned to see who it was!

The black boy stood there, a massive grin on his face, Azmera unsure what to do... Had he done that? Was it... Should she like that he did that?

“Hey there... Couldn’t help seeing you around here... You’re a fine thing, you know that?” He said, eyeing her pale body up and down as she stood there in shock, her face blushing red, she felt so strange...

The boy just chuckled, he had heard whites could be scatterbrained at times... Clearly he was a bit too much for her, she wasn’t used to any major masculine attention...

“My my, aren’t you a strange little thing?” He said, chuckling once more, Azmera a mixture of confused and overwhelmed...

“The name’s Mirach, what’s yours girl?” Said the male slave, trying to ask her something more on the white girl’s level...

“A-a-azzzzzzzm-m-m.... Aaaaazzz.... mmmmmeeeeer.... A-azmmmeraaa....” The white slave forced out slowly, somewhat mumbling and stuttering, finding it a great struggle just to speak to this boy... What the hell was wrong with her? She’d never been like this with her first owner, the only man she regularly saw for many years, or any of her owners since... She needed to get a grip on herself, this was embarrassing...

“Damn, you’re really struggling huh? You never been around a good looking dark guy like me?” Asked Mirach, flexing his muscles slightly, Azmera feeling she might swoon and pass out at any moment...

“Well, we got work to do sweetie, but I’ll be around... I’m gonna have a lot of fun with you...” Said the black slave, biting his lower lip for a moment as he took one last pass over her body, getting a good mental image that he could enjoy later...

Azmera just stared at him as he left, her heart pounding, was she scared? No? It made no sense, he had struck her without reason, but in a place she had never been hit before... And he acted so... strange... around her.... She knew about love, about the birds and the bees, but she’d had no direct experience with anything sexual other than some nights where she’d creep away to the bushes, sit down on the ground, spread her legs-

“Girl! Get back to work!” Shouted one of her masters, Azmera falling face first into the dirt as he startled her, scraping herself off quickly and getting straight back to her tasks, she had no time to daydream today...

The slave girl simply got on with what she had to do, collecting the vegetables, thinking about the boy the whole time, a hint of doubt rising in her mind... Could she trust him? He acted quite superior, as blacks do, but there was something else in his voice... Like he had something in mind for her... He seemed decent enough, she would have to see how he acted from here... Her mother hadn’t taught her any warning signs to look out for in men, she’d told her to avoid them alltogether... But the time had come for her first experience meeting another man her age, a man who acted like he could show her the ropes... 

Azmera hoped that, whatever experience she might have with Mirach, it would be a good one...

*********************************************

Iris let the long hair of her wife go, smiling down at her, she seemed to be taking it well, she wasn’t making a fuss anymore...

And that was true, Serena was making no fuss at all... She was still, empty almost...

“Akinyi, why don’t you get the cooks to make me and Serena something to eat, the usual from yesterday should be just fine... And take her with you, she seems a little bit quiet right now, some work will probably help wake her up...” Iris ordered calmly, Akinyi nodding in acknowledgement, taking Serena’s wrist and leading her to the kitchen, the white girl lost in a world of her own...

Leading her in, Akinyi and some of the other slaves got to work making the bread and preparing the meat for the t’ibisi siga ina dabo, Serena still frozen...

“Serena... Serena, are you ok?” Akinyi Asked, stopping her work and coming over, looking directly at her friend in deep concern...

Then, the white slave’s eyes fluttered back to life, and she looked at Akinyi, a look of hatred suddenly coming over her face...

Akinyi had no time to react as she was suddenly thrown to the ground, the angry white girl glaring down at her with a fire in her eyes, the other slaves turning to look, unsure how to intervene, or even wether they should...

“Y-you let them take her!” Said Serena through clenched teeth, staring with pure distrust into the eyes of her good friend...

“Serena, I didn’t have a ch-“

“ **YOU DID HAVE A CHOICE!!!!** ” The pale girl suddenly screamed, the other slaves moving away, they knew things could get ugly...

“Please listen! I didn’t! My influence can only go so far, I could protect Azmera here, but if they wish to sell her I can do nothing!” Explained the slightly frightened black girl, she’d never seen Serena so angry, and never at her before...

But the white teen managed to calm down... Eventually, her grip loosened, Serena standing back up, an anger still in her, but not directed at her fellow slave anymore...

Standing up also, Akinyi hesitantly hugged her tense friend, she did not want her to be so emotional over this...

“Sister, please do not be upset, or unhappy.... We could both do nothing to change what happened... You tried, and that was noble of you, so noble... It doesn’t change a thing though, that is the truth Serena... Let us just get on with breakfast, it will help get your mind off of things, please...” Akinyi lightly begged, her voice somewhat quiet, Serena softening again... She knew standing here would help nothing... Even if she didn’t really want to make food right now, she was gonna... It was better than wallowing in sadness at her own lack of power...

She worked with the other slaves, who swiftly returned to their posts, they had no idea what had gotten Serena so riled up... Whatever it was, it was over now, they had cooking to do...

*********************************************  
 _Sometime later..._

The white girl popped her head through the kitchen doorway, staring at Akinyi as she beckoned her over, knowing she must follow... With her language skills, she couldn’t go five feet without her native friend by her side...

“She wanted to see me, you said?” Serena asked the black girl, who nodded... Another slave had just come to the kitchen with a message... Queen Iris was in the bath house, and she needed to speak to her wife...

They reached the room, the wooden door to the bath house shut tight... Akinyi stood herself next to the wall, nodding at Serena... She would go in alone...

Nervously, the pale slave pushed open the door, entering the room, a wall of heat and steam hitting her as she made her way inside, the steam beginning to clear as she searched for her mistress...

Then she saw her, walking up the steps of the bath (which was more like a swimming pool)... Her ebony skin had been moisturised by expensive soaps and crystal clear water, her body refreshed by its natural essences.... Iris looked beautiful...

But as Serena’s gaze lifted along her body, it soon met her head.

The white girl broke out into giggles as she saw what The Queen’s freshly washed hair looked like... It puffed out considerably, like a mane almost, her already large hairdo looking even bigger now that the water and lack of styling had turned it into a massive, wobbling bush, waving about as Iris came to a stop, an annoyed glare coming over her royal face...

“Slave, cease your laughing...” She said in a serious tone, Serena breaking down into more giggles at just how much Iris hated this.... She looked like a furfrou!

Iris stood in silent annoyance and embarrassment as her wife began to chuckle loudly, blushing slightly, finding it both cute and frustrating that her appearance was a source of amusement for her white slave... 

Serena managed to cease her giggles, although there were plenty of false stops before she finally managed to subdue it...

“M-my apologies mistress... It’s just your hair, it...” The light teen stopped speaking as she smirked momentarily, before composing herself once more...

“No need to explain yourself, Serena... But please do not do that again... **Especially** in front of anybody... Understood?” Warned Iris with a half seriousness, although she’d never forgive Serena if she embarrassed her like that in public...

“Yes mistress, again, my apologies... Y-you wanted to see me?” Asked Serena, trying to get to the matter at hand...

“Oh, yes of course, I do indeed wish to speak with you...” Said Iris as she leaned over to pick up Axew, who was splashing about in a small bath of his own, drying him off lovingly with a towel and guiding him back into her bushy hair, Axew eagerly slipping inside... He liked Iris after baths... Her hair was so clean, and big, he had even more room!

With her pet safely tucked away, Iris turned back to her slave, her gaze softened, a smile on her face...

“I just wanted to thank you for how hard you’ve been trying, my love... I know it’s tough, and you do not fully understand why certain things must be... But you’re adapting fast, very fast... And I couldn’t be more proud of my wife for that...” Iris said in praise, Serena feeling a sense of happiness at having her recent obedience finally acknowledged... She still did not wish to be a slave... But she was trying her best to get along with her mistress, and this was showing the slave that it was working....

The Queen walked up to her wife, putting her dark hands on her light shoulders as she looked down at her...

Serena felt a wave of feeling wash throughout her body, the white girl filling with emotion as she stared up into the loving eyes of her mistress, she looked so beautiful...

Warmly rubbing her shoulders, smiling down at Serena with so much love, she spoke one thing...

“Oh Serena... You can be so much trouble sometimes... But, I love you, so very much... I’ve known you for only a few days now, but it matters not, I feel as if we’ve always known each other.... and I feel so lucky to be able to call you mine...” Said Iris with deep, warm sincerity to her words, Serena flooding with feelings of love towards her owner... Satoshi had never said such wonderful things, nobody had ever said anything like that to her before....

Without thinking, she raised herself up on her tiptoes, planting a deep kiss against her mistress’s luscious lips, their mouths meeting as Iris embraced the pale girl, wrapping her dark arms around her, the two women sharing their love together, the first truly beautiful moment between them...

All Serena’s worries and fears flooded away... In this moment, she forgot all her hardship, she forgot of Azmera, she forgot everything that wasn’t happening right here, right now....

Both ebony and ivory girl kept their embrace for their own personal eternity, their love together as one, before Iris softly broke the kiss, biting her bottom lip as she gazed down at her beautiful prize, her skin so pale, her hair so smooth, her eyes so blue...

And as her owner began to lead her to the doorway, a clear motive in her movements, Serena felt her face flush red and her heart beat fast in anticipation of what was soon to come...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna draw people’s attention to what’s been happening in China lately. There has been mass enslavement of a group called the Uighur Muslims by the government. Recently, it has been learnt that they have been forced to do slave labour, as well as many other things that I will not mention here.
> 
> I wanted to say this here because, as much as I write this as fiction, real slavery and real abuse are really happening. In this story, I can control what happens, and wether or not my characters see a good tomorrow. But in real life, for these actual people, I can do almost nothing.
> 
> But I can tell people about it, here. Spreading the word won’t do much, but it will do something good if it reaches the right people. T is already known on the news, but it has quickly been overshadowed by other events.
> 
> I feel I have an obligation, as somebody writing a story about slavery, to at the very least inform people about this.
> 
> As always, I hope people are enjoying the story so far, and if you have any questions or other comments, please feel free to leave them.
> 
> And remember, the themes here should be left to fiction, even if for some people, they aren’t. If you know or suspect that somebody might be involved in slavery, or be in slavery themselves, please inform the police, or check out this page for information on services that might be able to help: https://www.app.college.police.uk/app-content/major-investigation-and-public-protection/modern-slavery/list-of-anti-slavery-charities-and-non-governmental-organisations/
> 
> This page is a UK based page, but online you can find many other pages for your local area. And if you are a victim of human trafficking/slavery yourself, there are also resources here to help you.
> 
> I will also be adding this part of the section to the permanent end note, to ensure it will always be available here.


	14. Yes it is (And No it Isn’t)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see a contrast between two lives once more, the beautiful nature of love, and the bastardisation of it...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: The latter half of this chapter contains very dark and serious themes, and may be upsetting/disturbing to some.

Iris pulled her wife into her bedroom eagerly, softly closing the door shut and looking down at her slave, deep love in her eyes...

She led Serena over to the bed, the white girl’s face flushed, blushing red as a tamato... She hadn’t felt this way about somebody since Satoshi... And she was feeling all sorts of things...

Sitting her slave down on the bed, Iris rubbed her back, Serena going soft as her mistress’s touch soothed her, smiling as her ebony wife joined her on the bed, a soft pair of lips meeting her pale cheek...

“M-mistr-“ Serena began, her words cut short by a dark finger pressing across her lips...

“Shhhhhh.... Say nothing, do nothing.... Just relax...” Iris whispered into her slave’s ear, the white teen feeling her whole body warm up comfortably...

Iris’s free hand wandered, going over her shoulders, rubbing the tension out of them... Then, it went slightly lower, rubbing her just above her chest...

Serena gasped as Iris suddenly took a handful of her milky white breast... She squeezed it, every squeeze eliciting a tiny squeak or moan, the slave’s legs shutting together out of instinct as her body prepared for the inevitable...

“My my, you’re so pale here.... So nice and light...” Iris said with a love in her voice, teasing the area with her hands, teasing that she’d do so much more...

A loud moan emanated from the slave girl as Iris pinched her nipple, tugging it a little, the moaning raising in both volume and pitch as she pulled and pulled, subsiding only when the Queen let it go, her hand wandering to pastures new.... Serena’s milky thighs...

It glided hurriedly yet gracefully past her stomach, going instead to the white goodness around her upper leg, rubbing and caressing it, Serena biting her lip as she wished her mistress would go just a little closer to her groin...

As if she could hear her slave’s thoughts, Iris’s hand edged closer... and closer... and closer... The white girl’s breathing quickened, every breath a quiver, until an ebony finger rested ever so gently on her wetness...

Wether it was from the touch or anticipation, Iris didn’t know... All she knew was that Serena was now making such strange noises... Squeaks, mumbled pants, all of it was unintelligible... And all of it was beautiful...

The loudest squeak of all came when Iris shoved the now moist finger right inside of Serena’s hole, pale legs clutching her hand as she wiggled her digit, squeaks turning to moans, slave turning to lover...

“Do you like this my love? Do you want more?” The Queen asked her pale beauty, the girl letting out something between a moan and a desperate whimper, Iris letting a wide grin wipe across her face...

Noises were forced from Serena that the white teen didn’t even know she was capable of as Iris began to move her fingers in and out of her entrance, rubbing up and down against the girl’s insides, Serena feeling all sorts of things that she **never** felt with Satoshi...

But she did not want Iris to go without her own pleasure... Her mistress was doing this for her... Serena owed her the same...

Iris let out a yelp of surprise as a pale hand suddenly began to try and reach her own flower, the movements imprecise, the pleasure Serena felt making coordination difficult...

“Oh sweetie, please, you don’t have tooooOOOOH!” Exclaimed the Queen as her white slave suddenly managed to shove a finger inside, wiggling it in rhythm to how Iris wiggled her own, creating a pleasure chain they both could share...

The black woman continued her efforts as Serena gained more and more ground, more fingers going in, going deeper, just like mistress...

Their breathing quickened, their hearts pumped faster and faster, their hands moved at greater speeds, rubbing fast and rubbing well...

Both girls near to release, they kissed, Iris and Serena’s lips meeting as they united each other into one, engaged in a beautiful kiss as their orgasms finally reached them...

Their bodies exploded into a wave of shared pleasure, the bond between their lips only strengthening as they let themselves merge into one being, one soul, one collective, despite their differences of status and appearance....

The girls stayed like this for a while, experiencing the beautiful moment, before the orgasms died down, both ladies collapsing tiredly against the sheets, laying down in post orgasmic bliss...

“Fuck....” Serena said in between heavy breaths, gripping Iris’s hand, squeezing it tightly, enjoying her touch....

They lay there and panted for what seemed like a beautiful blissful eternity, before the Queen turned to her wife, her lover, a deep loving look in her ebony eyes...

“I love you...”

Serena couldn’t help but kiss her again to show her mistress just how much she loved her too.... It had been so hard for her, the last week... But this moment changed everything... It showed her she could find love in this life, love greater than any she had known before...

The girl forgot she was a slave, forgot she was owned.... All she knew was that she was blessed... And nothing... Absolutely nothing... Would ever change her mind again....

*********************************************

The last few days had been difficult for Azmera.... Mirach, the black slave boy she had high hopes for at the beginning, was quickly starting to show his true colours.

He would touch her at times, in places that made her uncomfortable, getting more bold the less she fought back, too scared to.

Even working was difficult, he harassed her _all_ the time, staring at her constantly, she could see he was enjoying it... And it frightened her, she didn’t know what to do... She wished her mother was here to talk to, she could ask her about it, she had her protection...

But mother was far far away now... Azmera was on her own, she would have to learn to adapt to his advances, or learn the consequences of her naivety....

_brush brush brush..._

Azmera was grateful to be out of the sun today, allocated instead to sweeping the floor of the slave quarters... It was gruelling work... But compared to the heat outside, to how her back would burn red and sore, this was like heaven...

The white slave’s owners had noticed her slowed work output... They knew it was the boy, they could see what he was doing, but it was clear to Azmera they did not blame him....

It was her fault... Her body interested him, she looked _too_ good... That was how they saw it... She had done this to him, she had made his work slow down also... She was the problem, she needed to be moved...

But Azmera didn’t care... Just the fact she was able to stay indoors, alone, made her feel much better... Perhaps things would not be so bad here after all, if this was how they resolved to fix the issue... At least it was practical, and benefited her...

And then, slowly, the door to the quarters creaked open...

“Hello sweetie....”

Azmera froze with her back to the door as a familiar voice sent chills down her spine, the poor girl stuck to the spot as footsteps drew closer...

“You haven’t been outside today... I see they put you on sweeping duty... But it’s ok, I’m having myself a little break, I wanted to come and see you, honey...” Mirach practically whispered into her ear, giving her a light kiss on her pale cheek, the slave girl shying away in fear and nervousness, the man clearly making her uncomfortable...

“C’mon now, don’t be like that, I’m only here to make you feel good... Just relax and let me have my fun, I promise to be gentle....” Said the black softly, giving a quiet chuckle before his hand reached out to her thigh, rubbing the tanned skin, Azmera instinctively moving away, stepping aside from the boy, this was getting too much now... She felt uncomfortable, she felt scared... 

And she was beginning to feel that something was about to go horribly wrong...

Suddenly, Mirach grabbed the white slave’s wrists, turning her around and thrusting her against the wall, a lustful anger in his eyes, fear in hers!

“Why do you keep acting like you don’t like it... Am I not good enough for you?” Said the man, his voice losing all false comfort and happiness, replaced with sternness and a deep, serious tone.... He wasn’t playing around anymore... Mirach was angry, frustrated... Why wouldn’t she like him, he tried so hard, he just wanted to enjoy her... This was her fault... She was wrong here, not him, she was playing hard to get... And it was starting to get to him...

Shaking her head quickly, her brown eyes wide with pure terror, the paler girl stood there with a feeling of dread carving its way through her insides... Deep down, she knew something bad was gonna happen... But she had little experience with male slaves, only masters... Azmera hoped, if he did beat her, he wouldn’t be too hard... She couldn’t defend herself, she wasn’t as strong as him... He could kill her if he decided not to stop...

“Then why aren’t you liking this!? I try time and time again just to make you feel what your body deserves to feel, what your body makes me want to do... And you throw it back in my face.... You tease me and tease me, over and over, you drive me mad, but you **never** give me a break!” Mirach spoke angrily, raising his voice a little as he revealed his frustrations to the girl, she had to understand now, she needed to understand how crazy she was making him feel...

“I-I’m not teasing you, I-I don’t know what you’re talking about, please d-don’t hurt me!” Begged Azmera as she began to panic, she’d never been in this situation, she did everything her masters had told her to do, why was he getting angry!?

Mirach snapped. He threw Azmera hard against the ground, grabbing her wrists again as she tried to stand, forcing her over to the wall, placing her hands against it, leaning his head beside her ear as her heart began to race, the slave girl beginning to really panic now, her breathing fast, every inch of her wanting to run through that doorway...

“Don’t you lie, **DON’T YOU FUCKING LIE TO ME!!!!!** ” The black slave yelled into the white girl’s ear with pure rage and anger, making them ring painfully as she struggled to compose herself, to say something back, she didn’t know what had come over him!

“I didn’t lie!! Please!! I don’t know why you’re doing this!!!!!” The confused girl shouted, her voice pitchy and frightened, she just wanted him to stop!!

“ **YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHY I’M DOING THIS!!! YOU FUCKING SLUT!!! STOP LYING TO ME!!!!!!!!!** ” Mirach screeched angrily, the slaves outside turning to look at the hut, knowing what was coming... They felt sorry for her, even if she was a white... Nobody deserved this...

But he knew she did... She had been driving him insane for days on end... The white girl had it coming, this was her fault, she made him do this...

Azmera began to yelp as he started to forcefully spread her legs, the girl fighting to keep them closed, stopped by Mirach as he used his strength to overpower her, the slave girl scared and confused by what was happening...

It was then that she noticed something poking at her groin, something hard, and she finally understood what he had in mind for her, what he actually intended to do to make her pay for her supposed teasing!

The white teen started to scream as the full situation shot through her mind, fighting back against Mirach as he held her still, his hand slamming over her mouth to silence her, her cries would not be answered anyway... He knew her masters did not care, the slaves did not care, she deserved this, she **wanted** this, she just didn’t know it yet....

He penetrated her, the girl’s muffled screams growing only stronger as he forced himself inside, the feeling uncomfortable, painful and tight to Azmera, her legs trembling as the experience threatened to make them give way...

Slowly, he started, but Azmera wasn’t gonna let this happen... She had to get away, she needed to get away from him, she did not know the word for this, but it was sick, it was disturbing!

“ **AAAAAH!!!!** Son of a bitch!!!” Yelled Mirach as he received a swift kick to his genitals, the black slave falling backwards as he let her go, Azmera racing towards the door, speeding through it and slamming it shut, her breathing fast and deep, her eyes stuck wide open, her mouth hanging open in shock from the abuse she just managed to escape....

But she felt herself lose all hope of respite as both her master’s began to storm over in anger, the tallest throwing her to the dirt as the other opened the door for Mirach,  
the boy standing there as he winced in pain, filled with a fiery rage towards the pale skinned teen!

“She not putting out for you Mirach, you want some _help_?” Asked one of her masters with a chuckle, as the terrified teen tried desperately to stand herself, kept down by the other man as he kicked her belly, his rough hands keeping her pinned to the soil, Mirach nodding as he glared down at the slave girl, she had made a **big** mistake!

Azmera kicked at the floor, hollering as the man began to drag her towards a set of two poles, spread evenly apart, bent so that they were held horizontally... She thrashed against his grip and screamed as the men watched with wide grins, all except Mirach, his face still awash with hatred for the struggling white...

“Come along sweetheart!” Said one man, laughing as she fought against them with all her strength, putting up a tough fight...

As they reached the poles, the men lifted the girl up, Azmera continuing her fight as the white slave’s arms were held against the wood and tightly bound with rope that dug into her pale skin....

The defiant slave managed to lift one arm up, reaching helplessly for the air before it was thrust back down, Mirach grabbing her side, his hands digging into her shoulder, stopping her somewhat from fighting back...

“Don’t act like you don’t want it palmskin, you’ve been teasing me for so long, so so long, you wanted this all the time, didn’t you!?!?!?” Mirach accused angrily as Azmera began to sob, her mouth hanging open as she began to break down...

“ **No no I don’t want this at all!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!** ” Begged the white woman as the whole situation began to drive her to breaking point, her shoulders aching painfully as she thrashed against her restraints, every fibre of her being telling her to run, run away from this field and never come back!!!!!

The black slave boy began to viscously beat her, only ceasing as the men held him back, it was pointless killing her before they could have any fun...

Her struggles multiplied tenfold as Mirach returned, his size once more pressing against her entrance as she struggled to look back!

But she needn’t have tried, the boy leaning over her to speak to her again, his teeth gritted, holding back from strangling the girl, if only to please his masters...

“This is what you wanted, so this is what you get!” He growled through his clenched teeth as the white girl flailed, doing anything she could to slow him down, to get him away, to get her away!

And then, with no regard for the girl as even a human being, he shoved himself back into her with one violent thrust, a sharp pain tearing through the white girl as he forced himself inside of her!

Azmera’s head flailed back and forth as she let out an ear piercing wail, the working slaves covering their ears, trying to ignore the horrific abuse despite being in such a close proximity, knowing they could do nothing to stop it, it was better to ignore it and let it happen...

The poor girl continued to scream and wail, her mouth clenching shut as the pain hit her hard, the pale slave in agony as Mirach began to rape her, every thrust feeling like sandpaper...

She continued the outburst until his hand returned to smother her mouth, the white woman’s scream muffling again as the rape continued, the sound of every one of his movements loudly overpowering her already blaring screams...

He continued to thrust, again and again and again, Azmera unable to stop Mirach as he had his way with her, the white girl building up the strength to nip his hand with her teeth as he tried to silence her...

He yelped in pain as her teeth cut the pale skin of his palm, Azmera’s head being shoved downwards, straining her back as he held it there, before punching her face sideways, blood seeping from the small cuts his rough fist made as it collided with her light face...

Mirach gave the slave girl no rest as he swiftly returned to what he had been doing, going faster, channeling his anger into the moment as Azmera groaned and screamed, still thrashing about, even as her face stung and her body burned in agony....

Her nails dug into the wood as she tried to deal with it, her teeth clenching once more, the girl tensing up as Mirach’s thrusts began to shove her forwards repeatedly, her elbows feeling like they might shatter from the force, her eyes streaming down tears...

And then, he slowed down, Azmera’s tears growing in number as he finished what he’d started, the girl unable to stop him, it was too late now, it was over...

As she groaned, recovering from the ordeal, he spat on her back, the girl throwing her head back in agony as he exited her, something wet, blood or semen, splattering on the dirt below... She could not look behind her, and she did not wish to, she felt like she wanted to die right now...

But as he left, another man came to her, Azmera starting to thrash in terror as she felt him touch her pale skin, rubbing her side...

**NO MORE!!!! NOOOOOO!!!!!** Begged the panicked slave girl as she realised what they had in mind for her now, she would face harsh abuse from all of them...

Violently, he grabbed her hair, wacking her head repeatedly against one of the poles until her begging stopped, Azmera sobbing as he entered her next, raping her as roughly as Mirach had, treating her like an animal for reasons she couldn’t understand...

In a final attempt to find a sympathetic soul, she lifted her head to look at the field slaves, staring with desperation at the black girls, a clear want in her eyes, she just wanted this to stop...

But they averted their gaze, those who had been looking, staring elsewhere as the white girl cried, her wails making them move further... They would not help her, and they could not help her... They couldn’t do anything right now... Except ignore her...

*********************************************

The white slave breathed heavily as the last of the men raped her, breathing only with each thrust, exhausted in both body and mind, unable to take in just what had been happening to her, what still was happening...

He came just like the others, standing there for a short while before leaving her, her hole rubbed raw, leaving her bloodied and bruised as the men abandoned her... All the other slaves had gone inside long ago, leaving her alone in the fields, as if in punishment, to think about what she’d done...

All alone, tied to those poles, Azmera broke down completely... She wailed as a new cascade of tears washed the blood from her cheek, her mouth open in a sob as she stood there on her own, not a soul nearby to comfort her, nobody to take care of her, the girl left alone to face the aftermath herself...

She felt dirty, filthy, she wanted to tear her skin off and bleed out, she wished they’d slit her throat and left her to die, she wanted to die, anything was better than living with this, after what they’d done to her!

She retched, heaving before throwing up on the ground below, being sick just from the thought of what they’d done to her, of how they’d just taken her and used her like some sort of toy, a plaything, a tool...

Azmera heaved again, feeling like she might vomit again, wishing her mum was here, mum would make things right, mum wouldn’t have let this happen, she wanted her mum!!

“ **MUUUUUUUuuuuuUuuuuUuuuUuuuUUUM!!!!!!!!** ” The girl wailed instinctively, needing her mother to be there to help her, she needed help, she needed support, she needed her comfort, she just needed her to be with her right now!

The white slave continued to scream until her throat gave out, her last raspy cries dying out as she gave up hope, as her energy bottomed out...

“Mmm-mmum....” Whimpered the girl sadly, her sobs now the only noise in the empty field, Azmera hoping they would leave her there to rot, she wanted to rot away into nothingness, to return to the earth...

A couple of hours later, as the sun began to set, the white girl blacking out regularly, Azmera was brought to wakefulness as one of the black slave girls stood in front of her... She had a look of sympathetic sorrow in her eyes, the weak girl barley able to lift her head to look up at her...

“P.... please.... Just kill me... Slit my throat... Leave me here to die.. I don’t care... Just kill me... please...” Azmera begged weakly, her voice croaky and quiet, she had been shattered both inside and out...

The girl said nothing, using a knife to cut through her ropes, the pale girl falling sharply to the ground, groaning in agony as she lay there like a fallen soldier, wanting to just go to sleep and never wake up...

“ **KILL ME!!!! KILL MEEE!!!** ” The girl begged louder, the black girl wanting to cry too at the sight of this poor slave, but knowing she must stay strong... She thought of the whites as vicious savages, as inferior animals... But she would not like to see a dog treated like her... And she would be lying if she said she wasn’t deeply saddened by this sight...

Gently, she lifted the girl, moving her back towards the slave quarters, Azmera too weak to even fight her... She lay limp in her hold, her body almost lifeless...

“Why... Why are you helping me? I wanna die...” Sobbed Azmera as her tired eyes stared up at the dark woman, hoping she could rest soon...

“I’m sorry...” Was all the black girl replied, saying any more would bring her to tears... She needed to clean up the white and put her to bed for now, it was best... And she’d need somebody to watch her... She was valuable to her masters, they couldn’t leave her alone by herself in this state...

The white teen stayed silent as she was washed by the woman, before being dried off and taken back to the slave quarters...

The dark girl laid her down on her animal skins, trying to get her comfortable... Azmera could see her stick broom, lying haphazardly on the floor, thrown aside when all this begun... She wished she could just go back to that moment, to before it happened, she wished he’d never come in, he’d never touched her...

This was her fault... She should’ve just gone along with it... She should’ve just accepted his behaviour, pretended she liked it... He still would’ve raped her... But at least she wouldn’t be like this...

Laying there in silent sadness, the dark girl lowered herself to look at Azmera, the white slave staring blankly into nothingness...

“Are you thirsty? Are you hungry?” She asked almost caringly, the paler girl saying nothing in response to either question... she was so thirsty, and so hungry... But Azmera didn’t want to eat or drink... She wanted to lay there and starve...

A look of deep concern on her face, the darker of the slaves left the room, only to return moments later with a bowl of water, and another of soup...

As she tried to put the bowl to the white girl’s lips however, the weaker slave lifted her arm, clutching her dark wrist with an incredibly lax grip, her face deep and sad...

“N-no.....” Was all Azmera managed to say, before she lost her energy and her hold, the girl’s arm flopping back down, barely awake anymore...

Falling in and out of consciousness, the black girl fed her water and food, legitimately wishing to soothe the issues of thirst and hunger...

As she finished, she helped get Azmera into a comfortable position before going over to her own animal skins and laying down, lying in such a way that she could watch the white girl, who was barely awake now...

As her mind began to drift towards sleep, she became delirious... Images and thoughts flashed through her mind in a rapid frenzy, many of them incoherent, many of them showing her wants...

Azmera saw the future she most wanted... They were all free, the whites had their own village, safe and protected... She had a husband, the white boy from the market, and a beautiful baby... And her mother was there, she lived near them and would visit her as Azmera cooked for **her** family, **her** husband and child, not somebody else’s... And all was good, and well, there were no slaves, no pain anymore, finally, everything was as it should be...

The weak girl focused on these thoughts, her mind flowing as the light of wakefulness became dimmer and dimmer, before burning out entirely, Azmera falling into a deep, deep slumber... 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for how long this chapter took. I wrote the horrific scene you just read first. It is the hardest thing I have ever wanted to write, and it took a while before I felt comfortable to write the first part, with Iris and Serena.
> 
> I wanted to show both how love can be beautified and tainted, how Serena, in her life of luxury, receives pure, good love, whilst Azmera, in her poverty, is abused and mistreated by those who think themselves above her.
> 
> I do wanna make it very clear, I took no pleasure in writing the second half. I honestly feel bad for writing it, but I know it had to be done. I needed to show the abuses these slaves experience in the story, up close and personal. I also feel that I didn’t do a good job of showing rape for what it was when Iris raped Serena, I made it seem almost good. I had to rectify that.
> 
> I’m sorry if this chapter has upset anybody. This story is no longer quite as sexual as it Serb out to be, it is deeply serious.
> 
> Initially, I wanted to do erotica about Serena becoming a slave wife or Iris, but this has developed into a detailed and complicated story, a serious one, one with meaning.
> 
> I hope you all are doing well, and I want to reassure people that stuff of this nature will not be a constant through my story. The next chapter will most likely focus entirely on Iris and Serena.
> 
> But we will return to Azmera soon enough. Her story has only just begun.


	15. New Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back at the palace, Serena and Iris bathe in the afterglow of sex... But today will not be spent fully in bed... Iris is a Queen, and she has work to do...

This was love, Serena had no doubt about that. Lying there, with Iris, her wife, she felt almost like a Queen herself.... The sheets were exquisite, the room clean and comfy... She was truly living in luxury...

They had just been laying there for a while now, not saying much of anything, just enjoying each other’s presence... Thoughts of Azmera didn’t even flutter through her mind, they couldn’t.... This moment had enslaved her mind, just as the Zhireti had enslaved everything else....

A knock. That was what broke the serenity of the moment, although it did not ruin it... Serena knew something would have to, eventually... And given the work the white slave had been recently doing, she remembered what it might be...

“Come in...” Iris said almost dreamily as she stared at her beautiful wife, not even taking her eyes off the girl for a moment... This was what she had wanted from the very beginning... No backchat, no sadness, no tears... Just a girl she could call hers, and _only_ hers... And she had finally gotten what she had been waiting for....

“Your majesty, breakfast is r-“ Akinyi announced before her words were forced to a stop... The black girl could see what had been happening, she could smell the act in the air... Had they.... This early... before breakfast?

Iris noticed, and cleared her throat commandingly, Akinyi springing back to attention as she realised how rude that must have been!

“Apologies your majesty! I-I have come to let you know that your breakfast is ready, would her majesty like to eat it here, or in the dining room?” Asked the dark slave, composing herself, she could not risk becoming lax...

“In here please Akinyi... Me and my wife would like to enjoy breakfast in bed, together...” Replied the Queen with a soft tone, turning to stare lovingly at Serena, clasping her pale hand, the two sharing another sweet moment...

Akinyi nodded, silently dismissing herself before returning moments later with the food, the same items they had yesterday...

Giving them their food and taking her leave, Akinyi left both women to enjoy their breakfast in peace, the two lovers digging in... Making love may feel good, but it also made you _really_ hungry....

Few words were spoken during the main part of the meal, the bread and meat disappearing as both girls chowed down hungrily... It wasn’t until that had been dealt with, and the coffee-like drink was being drunk, that any conversation really began...

“That was just... Wow... I’ve never really felt like that before... I’ve felt similar... But never like that... Fuck that was _excellent_...” Serena said almost dreamily, Iris looking at her with a slight hint of confusion...

“Are you talking about the sex, or...”

The white girl began to giggle as she realised what was confusing her mistress.... She oughta clarify for her... The meal was good... But it wasn’t **THAT** good!

“Hehe, yeah the sex, not the other stuff, silly...” Replied the slave with laughter... Iris couldn’t help but chuckle herself.... She felt pretty silly in all honesty...

“You sound very bold there... I think you forget who you’re speaking to... hehe...” Iris giggled back, teasing her... Had it not been the situation it was, The Queen would have been livid... But it was different right now... She wasn’t gonna let her pride ruin such a wonderful moment...

“Well, either way, we both know what I mean now, that’s what’s important...” Serena responded with love in her voice, giving Iris another smooch, their two wildly different lips hugging together...

They stayed there, sitting and chatting until the buna was drunk, Iris giving the last of hers to Axew, but being careful not to give him too much... Too much buna made Axew go hyper... And she didn’t want a repeat of _that_ incident...

When that was done, Iris slowly got out of bed, offering her hand to Serena to help her out too...

“Wh-where are we going?” The slave asked her owner curiously... She didn’t know of anything special going on... In truth, she didn’t know _anything_ at all about this place... She was a new slave here, she’d had little chance to get used to the palace...

“To my throne room, dear.... I wish for you to spend the day by my side, to see what goes on around here... Don’t worry though my sweet... You shall have a comfortable place to lay...” Explained Iris as she led Serena out of the room, she had to be present soon... It was unbefitting of a Queen not to be at her throne if anybody important were to arrive... And given her status, they often did... 

Even if it was **she** who were Queen, it was she who worked along their schedule... 

*********************************************

Iris sat with royal grandeur on the throne of the Zhireti, Serena laying on blankets and cushions beside her, Akinyi sitting on the hard floor next to the white girl.... She had to be there again... to translate.... It _always_ had to be her...

Akinyi wished she’d never learnt the white tongue... Before she came to the palace, she knew only two... That of the Zhireti, and that of her own people.... But Iris had been clear, _”Learn the white language like me, just in case it could be of use one day...”_ And boy was it useful now, more useful than Akinyi wanted it to be...

At least she knew what to expect... Serena was lost here... Iris was a Queen, she knew that much... But where she came from, royalty did not spend all day sat on a throne anymore... It was ancient... archaic... Serena didn’t know what might happen in such a system...

Then, the doors to the palace slowly opened up, a very important looking man walking forward... He was dressed quite differently to any of the others Serena had seen here... He was fully clothed in a militaristic looking getup, although it was not modern clothing by any standard... It was made of thick, decorated leather, interspersed with colourful cloth, the colours of which had been intentionally made to be fairly washed out... His appearance spoke power even more than Iris appeared to...

Yet he bowed before her like any subject would, the royal looking down at his act of submission with a ruling expression, her gaze meeting his as he stood back up...

“Ahh, Tizazu, you come bearing good news, I hope?” Enquired the Queen, the man sighing...

“I wish I could bring her majesty words of triumph, but I am afraid I have some rather... bad... news...” Tizazu said hesitantly, fearing her response... Even a man as powerful as he was fearful of the Queen...

“Bad news? Tell me everything...” Ordered Iris with her commanding tone, she needed to know what was happening, and she needed to know _now_....

“The Korebita tribe... th-they...”

“They what!?” The Queen suddenly shouted, Tizazu gulping nervously as she became annoyed by his hesitance, she wanted him to tell her!

“They do not gain ground against us your majesty! But... We are having trouble overtaking their village... I... I need your permission to retreat my forces....” He explained, Iris scoffing at his words...

“Out of the question! We survive for one reason and one reason only... We expand, we grow bigger, larger! The gods gave us these lands, and we must reclaim them, by any means necessary!” She barked, Tizazu taking a step back as he began to grow scared, he knew what would happen if he pushed things too far with her...

“Your majesty, I make this request with the greatest hesitation.... But the Korebita have kept us at bay for nearly a year now, we have lost many men in our efforts to breach their defences... I fear that if we continue, we shall lose many more, and we need men to help secure our _own_ defences...” He replied with careful wording... He had to ensure she understood why he was making this request, but he didn’t want her to think he was demanding it...

Iris sat there in stoic silence for a while, still as a tree as she thought over what he had said.... Anybody unfamiliar with what was happening would think she was a statue...

“No.... As much as I understand your concerns, I cannot allow you to withdraw... The bigger we grow, the more we gain... If we hadn’t invaded the Shelek’o, we would not have been able to learn of their water systems, of how they were able to route it away from the source, into their homes even... If the K’ola had been able to remain as they were, we wouldn’t have had access to their mines, and to the metals within, and the tools to work and change those metals... To you, the potential here is only to gain land... And whilst that is true, and that is a guaranteed benefit... We could gain _so much more..._ ” Iris spoke to Tizazu with passion, she believed the fight was worth it... He could see his soldiers would not get the respite they both needed and deserved...

“I understand your majesty... My men will continue to fight... If we are lucky, and the gods smile down upon us, we shall soon break through and claim their village for you...” He replied back, his tone almost glorious....

“And if we’re unlucky?” Iris asked the military man, Tizazu not even wanting to entertain that idea again, it would just lead to the same solution.... Retreat...

“We shall see what happens when we come to it mistress... But rest assured, we will fight hard and fight well for you, our noble Queen...” He said with a bow as Iris nodded in understanding and acceptance...

“Very well... You may leave...” Ordered Iris, the man thanking her before departing, the large doors closing once more...

Serena lay there in a slight shock... She was less shocked than yesterday of course, the white slave now knew well what the Zhireti were capable of, of how they had a need within them to expand their territory... But she hadn’t considered they were _still_ doing so...

“How are you doing down there, Serena?” A voice above the white girl asked, the slave looking up to see Iris smiling down at her...

“I-I’m doing ok.... This.... new tribe, you plan to conquer.... Do you... have to?” Asked the pale teen with great hesitance, stepping over her words carefully... She had been too harsh with her tongue yesterday... At the first sign of a distaste for her words, she would hold it...

“My dear, we must expand... That is our purpose, we were meant to own the lands here... We have already come so far, we must not stop now... I presume you feel a sense of worry for the Korebita, yes?” Iris asked, she knew why Serena must be so concerned... The girl might have been little more than a white, a slave... But she showed great compassion at times... Perhaps a little _too_ much...

“W-well, yes.... B-but only because I know of your conduct... The men will be... I don’t wanna say.... And the rest will become...”

Serena fell silent, not even finishing her sentence... She couldn’t bring herself to say any of those words, no matter how true they were... She hated the thought that Iris could be complicit in such things...

“Oh my poor girl, you worry too much for them... These people would gladly slay _our_ men, and enslave _our_ people if given the chance... They think no differently to us... This is not just about us reclaiming our land, this is about us ensuring our safety.... Land is power... And yes, blood must be spilled to gain it... But it meant _I_ got to grow up in safety, the Zhireti, no matter how poor, are much safer than they ever were before we expanded...” Said the Queen in an attempt to explain the situation, receiving no response from Serena, who simply stared at the floor... She had practically nothing to say back... Any rebuttal would be a mistake...

But Iris was not about to leave her slave there to think it over by herself... The black Queen spoke to Akinyi, who picked Serena up and placed her on Iris’s lap, the white girl still unchanged by this action, except for the brief moment she gazed into her mistress’s eyes....

“Imagine for a moment...” Said Iris to her wife... “That it was _they_ who tried to invade us... That _we_ were the vulnerable ones... Do you know what would happen?”

Receiving no response still from the silent teen, Iris continued...

“They would kill our men... I would either be executed or enslaved... And you, my precious girl, would be sold off also... I would never want _anything_ to happen to you... You are safe here, but _only_ because we have the drive to grow... So please try to understand that it is an inevitability here... If we were not the victors, then we would be the victims...”

Serena lifted her gaze to stare directly into Iris’s eyes, her pale face somewhat empty, although it had a hint of seriousness about it...

“B-but... Those people... Th-the people that you... we... invade... Do you not feel any guilt at what happens to them? Do you... have any sympathy?” Asked Serena, Akinyi becoming nervous at how the white girl was speaking to the Queen... She was on the path to getting a punishment again...

“Serena, I wish I could have such an unbroken connection with others as you do... You hear of what they would do to us, of how we would be if we did not do this... Yet you still feel for them... It is almost... noble... But if it were you in this throne, you would not remain long, I am sorry to say...” Said Iris, kissing Serena gently on her forehead...

“B-but... Mistress... Do we have to be so c-cruel? Why must we enslave them? Why must we... do what we do to the men... Th-they pose no threat... They are defeated... Surely, we can leave them to live in peace, even if it is under our rule?” Enquired Serena further, The Queen responding with an almost sad shake of her head...

“Oh Serena, my poor sweet Serena... We have to do it this way... If we did not, they could begin a uprising against us... The men would fight us, so they must be dealt with... We are incredibly kind to them Serena, you do not understand... If we were being entirely safe, as we have every right to be, then we would kill also the male children, or perhaps even the entire tribe... They would almost certainly do that to us... But we don’t...”

The white girl went silent again, so Iris continued...

“Instead, we allow them to live... We keep them as our slaves, but they are often treated kindly... We rarely separate families, we allow them to stay together... They may not be free, but they get to live their lives under the protection of the Zhireti... Is that not better than leaving them to their own defences?” Asked the Queen, Serena finding it difficult to shoot down her statement...

What she said was fundamentally true... The Zhireti were the most powerful tribe in the region... And with them owning her, Serena was far safer here than she was with another tribe... Had the Korebita bought her, she would be in danger of being killed by the conflict... But here, with the Zhireti, she was safe, she would be alright...

Thoughts of Azmera briefly flooded into her mind though... She had been separated from her own family... She had been mistreated... It was clear that when her mistress said slaves, she meant _black_ slaves, those who were almost fundamentally equal... But she would not fight Iris on this... She had made her point, and made it well...

“Y-yes, mistress, you are right... I apologise for my comments, they were made without consideration...” Spoke the white girl in apology, Iris rubbing her back gently...

“You are forgiven Serena... You were only saying what you believed to be right... You had good intentions, and that is not a bad thing...” Forgave the Queen, kissing Serena again before letting her return to her spot beside the throne... She would sit here and learn so much today... Her wife will know how hard a Queen like her had to work...

*********************************************

The next person to visit was the man Serena recognised from yesterday, the man who had registered her... He entered with his black slave girl, holding another slab, although it was almost certainly already written on...

“Teshome, always a pleasure to see you...” Said the Queen happily as the man and his slave bowed...

“As it is to see you, your Majesty... I come bearing good news, very very good news!” The man spoke enthusiastically, he seemed quite excitable, more so than he’d been when Serena met him... Clearly, he could be serious and strict when needed... But deep down, he was an almost joyous man...

“I’ve needed some good news Teshome... I spoke to Tizazu not long ago, the situation with the Korebita has proven difficult... I cannot guarantee that you will gain many more slaves too soon, as much as I know you would like the opportunity...” Said Iris to the man, the first time Serena had ever heard her sound near apologetic to anybody other than her... It was almost out of character for such a Queen... But Iris clearly felt strongly about this..

“Your majesty, you really have no need to worry about my situation... I already have a great many slaves to deal with... I am excited at the prospect of gaining more for our kingdom, but we will do fine regardless...” Reassured Teshome, he had many memories already of processing the new arrivals from conquered villages... Deep down, he enjoyed it, he liked to work... But it wasn’t something he absolutely _had_ to do...

“Well, whatever happens, I know you shall not fail me... Now, you said you had good news?” Iris asked with curiosity, good news could be hard to come by...

“Oh, yes! It is great news your majesty! Throughout the slaves in your other residences throughout the kingdom, we have had a high number of births! 22 to be exact, and all healthy!” Teshome exclaimed with great joy, his happiness replicated with all others except Serena, who felt nothing but concern... Those poor kids...

“Excellent news Teshome! I am glad to hear of it... Please ensure the mothers and children receive the utmost care and rest...” Iris requested in what was an unusually kind move of hers...

“I assure you they most certainly are, we’ve put all new mothers off of work duties until such time as their children become manageable... Do not worry your highness, we take very good care of them...” He said with a smile, his own slave having a smile of her own... Serena couldn’t understand why everybody seemed so happy, the whole thing was... Immoral... Sure, they were taking care of them, giving them rest... But they still **owned** them...

“You please me greatly Teshome, I know it must have been your care and kindness that allowed my slaves the comfortability and happiness to create new life... You shall be rewarded for this... Once we claim the land the Korebita occupy, you shall be given part of it, as well as any spoils you so desire...” The Queen offered with such certainty, so confident in the Zhireti’s abilities that she made a promise of something they had yet to lay their hands on...

“Your majesty, I appreciate the offer greatly, and I would be glad to accept it... I wish you the greatest of luck in overpowering your rivals and taking what you do rightfully deserve!” Said Teshome with glee...

The Queen smiled in response, this whole situation was perfect... More slaves meant more slaves to take care of her households in future, to clean them, to cook, they were necessary for such a system to stay working...

“You have made me a proud Queen Teshome... Please, won’t you stay for dinner?” Iris said, making yet another offering to the man, wanting to show her gratitude...

“I would be honoured to your majesty...” He replied with a bow, his slave doing the same, both of them seeming to act as one being...

“Excellent... I’ll have a slave escort you both to the guest chambers, in case you need to freshen up at all... Supper will not be ready for a while yet, so we will be glad to give you anything you require in the meantime...” Iris spoke back offeringly, clapping her hands, a slave girl walking in to escort them...

“Many thanks your majesty, I look forward to dining with you later!” Teshome said in his usual joyous tone as he and his slave were led out of the room, Serena watching closely as they left...

*********************************************

The rest of the working day was filled with visits from quite mundane, somewhat boring people... Tax men, accountants, and a couple of other people who’s jobs were all vastly different, yet universally uninteresting...

Iris sighed tiredly as the last visitor left, hopping off her throne as she headed for her bedchamber... She needed to lie down...

“Mistress, shall I come with you?” Asked Serena as she slowly got up, shaking after being sat down for so long... At least she had been somewhere comfortable though... Poor Akinyi had to crouch most of the time, or at best lay on the hard floor... The poor girl looked exhausted...

“No.... No Serena... Mistress needs to have a rest on her own for a while...” Iris said tiredly as she practically dragged herself back to her bedroom...

As soon as she had gone, Serena turned to Akinyi, speaking to her despite the black girl’s obvious lack of energy...

“Akinyi, why were they talking about those other slaves like that, talking of their children as if they’re some sort of stock addition!? How can you tolerate them speaking of them in that way!?” Serena asked almost accusingly....

“Serena, please... I’m so tired...” Akinyi managed to mumble out, which only made the white girl more unhappy...

“No Akinyi, you are gonna explain this to me-”

“No I am not!” The black girl suddenly shouted in annoyance, Serena going quiet... She hadn’t meant to make her friend so frustrated...

“I’m sorry Serena, but I am tired... Please, let me rest...” She said, sitting there in silence afterwards... Akinyi liked Serena... But she could be so draining... And having to translate constantly for her was even more so... The white girl needed to be taught her tongue, that much was clear... It would be of benefit to the both of them...

Silently, the white girl sat herself back on her blankets and cushions, laying there with her friend, who still had to stay on the floor... She did not have Iris’s permission to lay where Serena was...

It did not matter to her right now though... Finally... She could rest....

Slowly, Akinyi shut her eyes, and got ready to relax...

But then, the large wooden doors to the palace opened once more, four figures standing in the blinding sunlight....

*********************************************

The first to walk in were a couple, very dark in complexion, both looking to be in their early 20’s...

The boy was nothing remarkable... He was of an average height, although he appeared slightly taller than Serena and the girl with him... His features were soft yet manly, handsome, but not emanating any particular power...

Both slaves were dressed as most were, in meagre loincloths, although they did not let this fact affect their pride or attitude at all... In fact, they seemed quite amazed by their surroundings, staring around in wonder at what would be their new home...

They looked the complete opposite of Akinyi, who sighed in frustration as she went next to Serena again... She’d probably have to translate... As always...

“Desta, we’ve hit the jackpot!” The boy slave exclaimed to the girl next to him... To Serena’s surprise, both slaves suddenly gave each other a kiss on the lips, clearly they were not just friends here... The white teen herself couldn’t help but smile a little... It was nice to see that others had love in a place like this...

This smile faded quickly, however, as two more figures came into view... Ayele and his assistant entered behind the two newcomers, his gaze meeting Serena’s...

Instinctively, she looked down, fearing him despite never being at his wrath... His stare was piercing, it had a look of power and control to it... The slave knew he could not lay a finger on her... But she wasn’t gonna risk anything...

“Akinyi!” He shouted to the black girl, the poor slave hoping he wouldn’t make her do anything...

“Yes sir...” The dark girl said tiredly in Zhireti, her eyes half lidded, she looked like she needed to sleep...

“See to it that these slaves are shown their quarters and sent to the washing area to be cleaned up... And inform your mistress as soon as possible... And don’t be slow, I want them in the kitchen by tonight!” Ayele ordered loudly, Serena wondering just what he was saying... She knew he was talking to Akinyi, but that was all she knew...

The black slave nodded to him, and he departed with his assistant, leaving the two new slaves in her care...

Groaning, Akinyi got herself up, Serena doing the same, although she hid behind her friend... Akinyi helped ensure she was in front of Serena too... One of the new slaves was a man, and Akinyi knew what he might do to a pale girl like her...

“Hey there, glad to see we’ve got company here! I’m Sisay, and this is my wife Desta...” The slave boy said in a kind tone, putting an arm around his significant other...

“I’m Akinyi...” She said, not even mentioning the girl behind her... She did not want to draw their attention to Serena... Well, not theirs, _his_...

“Nice to meet ya! And who’s that behind you?” Sisay asked, poking his head around to see the wary white girl, her friend quickly putting herself in front of him again...

“She’s a friend.” Akinyi said quickly, sternly, her face serious, somewhat intense, her distrust for him evident... She hated being antagonistic, but she had to be, for Serena’s sake...

“Woah woah! I ain’t gonna hurt her or nothing!” Exclaimed Sisay, his hands raised almost defensively, his wife Desta staring with concern...

Akinyi didn’t respond to that at all... She had nothing to say, she just needed to get them where they needed to be, then she could stop worrying...

“Come with me...” Akinyi said coldly to the two slaves, leading them down the corridor, making sure Serena was kept away from the man...

Serena had no idea what was happening though... She’d seen these two new slaves come in, talk with Akinyi, and then she acted... Weird... Like he was a danger to her... Had he said something? He seemed pretty nice from what she could tell...

“Well, so much for a warm welcome...” Sisay mumbled to his wife, but Desta wasn’t listening... She was staring over at the white girl, she seemed... Different...

Discreetly, she moved a little closer to Serena, who glanced at her somewhat nervously before looking away...

“Hey...” Desta said to the paler slave girl, waving at her, Serena looking back and turning away once more as she heard this unknown word... She couldn’t speak Zhireti, she had no idea what this girl was saying!

“Hello? You ok?” The black girl asked, a look of confusion replacing the warm one she had before...

“She doesn’t speak Zhireti...” Clarified Akinyi, putting herself between them yet again... She trusted Desta much more than her husband, but she was taking no chances...

Desta went silent again, joining back with her husband, slightly worried... They’d had quite a cold reception since they’d arrived... She hoped they were in good hands... Her greatest fear was of something happening to her, to her husband... It was a miracle they hadn’t been split up either... Her owners had threatened as much back in the fields...

It wasn’t long before they reached the slave quarters, many of the slaves on their break... They turned to look at the new pair with curiosity, the women chattering amongst themselves as they saw a man... Male slaves were not common here at all, and in fact he _was_ the only one there right now...

“This is where you’ll stay, everybody shares the area, so please keep that in mind...” Akinyi explained with little enthusiasm, she had been used to doing such a task before... Often it was up to her to sort out the new slaves... She was glad at least that these ones were being cooperative...

“That’s alright, had to do the same before anyway... Now, I heard something about a washing area?” Sisay asked the black girl, Akinyi sighing...

“Follow me...”

*********************************************

Serena had never visited the slave washing area... And now she was glad to be there, she hadn’t washed in quite a while... Although what she was faced with was less than ideal...

The room was little more than a basic washroom... The floor was made of a somewhat smooth stone with a drain in the middle, but the room was fairly bland other than that... There was also a small kind of well, fed by the water systems the Zhireti had copied from the Shelek’o so many years ago...

And next to that, a bucket, the only real thing they had to pour water over themselves... It was basic, but, it would suffice...

“C-can I go in after them?” Serena asked her friend, speaking up for the first time in a while, “I haven’t had the chance to really clean myself since getting here...”

Akinyi shook her head, she couldn’t do it here... Not least because the new slaves were pretty filthy from the fields still... A good wash for them was even more needed, and it would take a while...

“I’m afraid not Serena, this is for the general palace slaves... If you would like however, you may have access to Iris’s bath house to wash... Her majesty made it clear that she wishes for you to have the same luxuries as her...” Replied Akinyi, the news a relief to the white girl...

But both Sisay and Desta were confused right now... They did not understand who this white slave was, why she was not being made to work... They could not understand the white tongue, they had never had a reason to learn it, despite its comparative primitiveness to their own language...

Either way, it was clear to them that Serena could not be any ordinary slave... She was something else entirely, perhaps she held a high position here...

They had no time to ask questions though... They **needed** a wash...

“Excuse me...” Said Sisay as he spoke up, Akinyi turning to face him...

“Could me and my wife be left alone to wash here? I know you two must have stuff to talk about, it’s just we’ve had a long day and-“

“Go ahead... Me and my friend need to chat...” *Replied Akinyi, moving away with Serena and leaving the two alone, the couple staring at them oddly once more... Akinyi and Serena seemed crazy to them... Serena was a strange white who couldn’t even speak their language, who barely tried to even communicate... And Akinyi was antagonistic, taking every opportunity to distance herself and Serena from him and his wife... 

But they did not let it get in the way of the task at hand... They needed a good wash, and they needed it now...

*********************************************

“Akinyi, what’s going on!? Why are you acting so weird around them!?” Asked Serena the moment she was out of the new slaves earshot, her black friend not turning to face her as she replied...

“Serena, you cannot trust men... Just believe me, you’re not safe around them...” Akinyi said, she sounded serious...

“What!? Akinyi, he seems nice, you can’t just assume he’s a perv for no rea-“

“I can and I will Serena! You do not understand our ways... You do not understand that you are at risk around men like him, your status does not matter to a man who wants you!” Akinyi shouted in a hushed tone as she tried to convey to Serena just how dangerous men could be, declining to go into the specific details... She knew what they were capable of...

“You’re _overreacting_...” Said the white slave... “Just because he’s a man doesn’t mean he’s gonna come on to me... And besides, I can deal with it if he does, I’ve met scumbags before who tried to hit on me... Knee to the groin, that’s all you need...” She said with a slight giggle, her jovial nature fading as Akinyi stared back with a deep seriousness...

“I am not talking about somebody attempting such a harmless act Serena, I mean much worse!” Akinyi retorted somewhat harshly, Serena going quiet, looking down at the floor...

“I’m... Sorry... But I still think it’s wrong to assume the worst of him... For all we know, he’s just like any guy...” Replied the white slave... Akinyi was being far too biased here... Men could be bad, that much was true... But she’d known many who were kind, many who had been her friends...

“Serena, that is the issue... He could be just like _any man_...” Responded the black girl... Her poor white friend clearly came from a much different world to hers... A better world? She knew not... But it wasn’t doing the pale teen any favours to think of things under those terms..

The white slave was starting to understand... Given how she’d been treated before being in Iris’s care, they quite obviously didn’t think of her as in any way equal... Even if she wasn’t a slave, even if she wasn’t white, they would probably treat her no different...

This boy couldn’t be like that though, surely? He acted so nice, as did that other girl with him, they seemed to be a couple... Serena felt bad for having seemed so distant with Desta before, but she had no choice... She could not understand what she was saying... 

“You’re going to learn Zhireti...” Akinyi suddenly spoke, breaking the white girl’s train of thought...

“I would like to understand the others Akinyi... But... How difficult will it be? I really only know two languages, English and Kalosian...” Replied Serena, the irony of that suddenly being clear to her... She was bilingual, she knew two completely different languages... Yet both were just as useless in this place as a baby’s babbling...

“I will be honest, learning this will be hard for you... Your tongue is, well, somewhat primitive compared to our own... But with time, you shall learn...” Responded the black slave, her tone pretty cold... She was still thinking about that boy, just the fact he was here changed _everything_... The men who worked for the Queen would never dare to abuse Serena... But she knew a male slave would neither be so loyal, nor so well behaved... Serena was a pretty woman, she’d been so before coming here, and she’d remain so for many years to come... She would also remain naive for quite a while though... And somewhat stubborn at times...

Akinyi knew that whatever would happen in the days and weeks to come, one thing was certain... She wouldn’t let Sisay anywhere near her friend...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry for posting so infrequently compared to before. A lot of stuff has been slowing me down :/
> 
> Also I know I say this every time, but I do hope people are enjoying this, or indeed, still reading it. If you are, then I thank you. Considering how badly I write these, I’d be surprised if anybody stuck around :P
> 
> But I also wanted to give you guys a more light hearted chapter. There are serious elements in here, but generally I’ve tried to put enough happy moments in ^-^
> 
> Also if anybody wants to see what Axew is like when he’s had too much buna, lemme know in the comments and I might add it in a later chapter :>


	16. Cleansing Your Body (As Well As Your Soul)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serena hasn’t had a wash since the day of her wedding... And now that she’s getting one, she’s getting a chance to wash away more than just dirt...

Akinyi recoiled a little as the steam from the hot water poured from the now open pipe, emptying into the large pool of the bathhouse, filling it as Serena watched from nearby...

“So... How come you can’t use this too? You’re her only favourite slave other than me, why can’t you use this place?” The white girl asked as she observed her friend preparing the bath...

“I am not her wife, Serena... But _you_ are... You rank one level above me, one level below her... You are nearly as close as you can get to being royalty, even if you are technically still a slave...” The black slave explained as she added a powder to the water, something to help make it all the more cleansing...

“That reminds me, Akinyi... Why did she choose me for her wife? She never met me before the wedding, and by the time I arrived here at the village I was a... n-newcomer... Why was _I_ chosen, over any other slave?” Serena suddenly asked, Akinyi going silent at the question, acting as if the white slave had herself been removed from her reality...

“W-well?” The pale teen asked again, receiving no response as her friend carried on with the work...

“I just really wanna know, A-Akinyi... I can’t understand it... I-I thought people like me were meant to be lower than people like... You.. So, why would I be first pick to marry Iris?” The white girl said, asking another difficult question... Akinyi let out a sigh, shaking her head a little... She’d need to give her some kind of response...

“It is... Not important right now...” The dark girl mumbled as she tried to dismiss Serena’s questions... She knew the answer, as Iris’s favourite slave, she was aware of what had happened... But she didn’t know if Serena could take such a revelation...

Against her better judgment, the white teen stayed silent... Deep down, she wanted to know those answers more than anything... But if Akinyi would not reveal it to her, it was clearly something she did not want her to know...

Both slaves remained quiet, until the bath was finally done, Akinyi checking the temperature of the water with her finger... And she was very careful to use _one single finger_... That was all she was permitted to dip into the water here... Even two fingers were strictly against the rules for a slave...

“Your bath is ready...” Akinyi said to her friend, a small smile on her face...

Serena somewhat warily walked over to the water, lifting her foot, dipping her toes in... It was the perfect temperature, not too hot and not too cold...

Satisfied that it was safe to venture in, she slowly lowered herself inside, sitting herself down on the comfortable steps that led out of the pool, letting the water envelop her body...

It felt absolutely wonderful, the dirt and grime on her pale body instantly washing away as she bathed in the greatest bath in the kingdom... It was a bath fit for a Queen, mainly because that’s who it was made for... Even Serena, who had access to plenty of high quality bath products back in Kalos, had never experienced such luxury before...

“I’ll be outside, call for me if you should need anything...” Said her friend as she left the room, the black girl standing guard outside... And by standing guard, she really was... Sisay could have followed them for all she knew... Even if he hadn’t, she wasn’t gonna leave her friend on her own...

*********************************************

“ _Aaaahhhh..._ ” Serena sighed contentedly, slowly letting out a breath as she relaxed into the warm waters...

The experience felt marvellous... Her whole body was allowed to soften like butter, her entire being becoming malleable, every single thought in her head fading, as if being washed away....

Right here, in this place, she could clear her mind completely... She thought of nothing, not of Satoshi, not of Kalos, not of Iris, not of the Zhireti... In this small reality she had made herself, there was nothing that needed to be thought over, nothing that had to be considered... Nothing at all...

In this moment, she was not a slave, neither was she free... She just... _was_... 

The slave girl spent most of her bath time with her eyes closed shut, at first thinking of nothing as before, and then, making fresh thoughts, thoughts free from the influence of the outside world, thoughts from her own mind...

Her mind glided through so many things, too many things to even comprehend... The closest comparison was delirious drowsiness, the thought patterns that happen when somebody is on the very precipice of sleep... Thoughts pop in and out of existence before the brain can grasp them, random, near chaotic even...

But this was different... They were random... They were brief... But they were far from chaotic... They weaved together a beautiful tapestry of thought, a wonderful cloth that Serena could gaze at through her minds eye...

It felt like she could stay like this forever... Deep down in her subconscious though, Serena knew she’d eventually have to return to the real world... It was alright though, she still had a while left... And time did not exist in this strange world of thought she had constructed...

*********************************************

Standing outside the bathhouse, Akinyi was hit by a blast of warm air as the door to the room was opened, two white feet stepping through...

The pale slave seemed to glow almost as she exited Iris’s washing area, already dried off by the expensive towels, her hair styled by another one of those strange combs, the handle a bust of a white woman...

She held that very same comb now... And in her usual curiosity, she turned to her friend...

“Hey Akinyi, check this out! They got these combs here for people like me, I’m surprised they’d bother to make these for us...” Serena said quite happily, but there was a hint of asking in her tone, she wanted to know more...

“Oh... Th-they’re um... Called _Grasshair Combs_... That one has actually been here since before even Chief Tariku was alive... It is made from the bones of one of the animals here...” Replied Akinyi, she recalled it from her early days at the palace... Although it had not been used for a long, long time...

“Yeah, it’s neat! I wonder why it’s here though... Were whites ever common in this place?” The brunette asked her friend, Akinyi once more becoming worried... She was asking too many questions...

“Perhaps... I-I would not know, I cannot remember...” Akinyi said with a hesitant tone, Serena sensing once more that she should not pursue it further... But she was determined to learn the answers one day, she **had** to know... 

“A-anyway, let us go back to the throne room... I’m sure her Majesty will be awake soon, she will want to speak with you I’m sure...” Said the black girl, trying to break the awkward silence that had come between them both...

“Oh... Y-yeah, we can go, sorry...” The white slave replied, placing the comb back on the small table it had come from, the two of them walking away, going to greet their mistress...

*********************************************

Iris rubbed her eyes tiredly as she awoke from her nap, stretching to help her muscles wake back up, lying there as she thought things over...

As she tried to think though, the sensation of something moving around just above her scalp interrupted all thoughts, as did the sight of a small face poking down from over her forehead, a small face with an incredibly small vocabulary to go with it...

“Axew!”

The ebony woman giggled, looking up at her pet with a gentle expression, her hand coming up to pet Axew as he greeted her...

“Hello there Axew... Did you have a nice nap?”

“Axew axeeew axew!” The creature replied as it awkwardly wiggled from its hairy home, climbing down her until it reached her lap...

“I’ll take that as a yes...” Iris said with a small chuckle, continuing to stroke her Pokemon as she dwelt once more on her thoughts... 

Gazing back down at Axew as he nuzzled into her stomach, the Queen sighed somewhat sadly...

“Oh Axew... I’m still worried about Serena... She’s doing better than she did before she arrived, but I can sense that she still does not feel at home... And she shows such sympathy for so many, for those whom I know would show none for her... I’ve been quite harsh with her at times, although I’m trying to be less so... But... Do you think I still should be a bit more understanding with the girl?”

“.... Axew axew...” Replied the green Pokemon, his words the complete opposite of hers in every way, conveying little to no meaning, other than a tone of what could be sympathy... Although who that sympathy was for, Serena or Iris, was unclear...

“Maybe I should... But I fear I will forget to do so... I often try to change my ways... But l’m so used to being who I am... I **have** to be who I am... If I wasn’t so strict, my kingdom would be in tatters... Oh Axew, what should I do?”

Axew didn’t reply, too busy chasing a loose thread he had found, clambering over the bed and inadvertently hitting it away with his arms, putting him on a near endless journey to try and catch it...

Giggling again, Iris grabbed the thread, patting Axew on the head before letting it hang off of one of his tusks...

He looked at it, knowing it was his now, before chucking it aside, bored... It more was fun before he had it...

“Come on, go back in mummy’s hair now, I need to go to my throne...” Said the Queen, her Pokemon’s antics cheering her up, lifting her pet up to her head...

“ _Axxxeeew...._ ” The creature said grumpily, he wanted to stay out, he wanted to have fun!

But once she put him next to her hair, he put up no fuss, disappearing into the mass calmly and getting snug inside...

Iris had yet to find a solution for the issues she faced... Right now though, the easiest thing was to just ignore them... Just like father had told her to do, all those years ago...

*********************************************

“Hey mistress!” Serena shouted, waving as she ran over to the Queen, forgetting the issues of earlier... The bath had refreshed her in many ways, she was in a much better mood...

“Serena! You look great, have you had a wash?” Iris asked as her slave reached her, hugging the pale girl slightly...

“Yep, your bath is really amazing!” The white teen exclaimed with a smile as Akinyi stood nearby, turning her head as-

Sisay and Desta were walking into the room, waving over at Akinyi as she stared with worry back at them, the two slaves slowing down somewhat as they noticed the women standing next to her...

It was that white girl, again, and she was with somebody... Wait, that wasn’t just somebody... That was **THE QUEEN!**

The couple stopped in their tracks, unsure wether they should approach... They knew this was Queen Iris’s palace, Ayele had said as much on their journey back... But they hadn’t expected to be in her presence so soon...

Iris spotted the pair, noticing them almost immediately, the two new slaves starting to become worried as she walked towards them...

“Can I help you?” Her majesty asked, her voice neither dismissive nor warm...

“I do not wish to bother you, your majesty... I am afraid me and my wife are new here, we’ve been assigned to the kitchens but had trouble finding them... But you needn’t let us keep you, your highness, we shall ask your maidservant... Our deepest apologises for taking your time...” Sisay said to Iris, his words and tone perfect for addressing royalty... Akinyi was stunned... He hadn’t been like that earlier, he’d been, well, normal...

“Please, do not apologise...” The Queen replied, stopping the pair as they walked towards her servant...

“I do often try to meet the new slaves at my palace, so your presence is not at all an issue for me... Please, tell me your name... It has been a while since we’ve had a _male_ slave here...” Said Iris almost flirtily, discreetly biting her lower lip as Serena looked on in shock...

Was she.... She couldn’t be, surely? Serena was her wife, Iris was married... Why would she openly try to flirt with somebody else!?

“My name is Sisay, your majesty, and this is my good wife Desta...” The boy replied as he brought his wife forward, Desta bowing before the Queen... Curtsying was not a custom here... And even if it were, nobody really wore dresses...

“Desta, such a lovely name... And Sisay, that’s a handsome name for a handsome man...” Complimented Iris, Sisay blushing very slightly, but neither of the two the least bit perturbed by her behaviour...

Serena was quite the opposite... She stared, somewhat horrified as she watched her own wife act completely unfaithful to her, despite the air of importance their wedding day had commanded... And it didn’t matter that she couldn’t understand the exact words... The tone was enough...

“Wh-Why thank you, your majesty... Me and my wife feel humbled to accept such compliments from you...” Said Sisay as he and his wife bowed once more, Iris smiling down at them both...

“Well, I will not keep you both any longer... You may go with Akinyi, she will show you to the kitchens...” Said the Queen, before she looked down at her wife...

“Serena, would you like to go with Akinyi and these new slaves to the kitchens? Or would you prefer to stay with me in the thr-“

“I’ll go.” The white girl said before Iris could finish her sentence, fuming, trying as best she could to hide how betrayed she felt...

“Oh. Well, th-that’s good, no that’s good... I mean you’re a slave after all, it makes sense you would wanna work rather than relax...” The Queen replied with worried bemusement at how tense Serena seemed... Had she done something to upset her?

Wordlessly, she joined Akinyi, leaving Iris by herself, the black Queen watching with some confusion as she walked away from her, the other two slaves following suite, although they both bowed before they took their leave...

Akinyi watched them carefully as they followed, keeping Serena as far from them as possible... It was for both their benefits right now, something appeared to be bothering the white girl...

Sissy and Desta were quite bewildered themselves... This white girl was close the to Queen!? So why was she now with them!?

They did not bother to ask these questions though... Akinyi seemed to hate them both, and Serena was both unable to talk to them _and_ in a very strange mood... 

It was clear that it would take time for the black girl to trust the pair fully, and for the white one to understand them... Whatever happened, they felt happy, they felt blessed... They were owned by the most powerful person in the land... That in itself was a wonderful thing...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was more of a laid back filler chapter, just something I wanted to do. Most chapters have massive revelations or drama in them. There’s some in here, but it’s much lighter than usual, and we can just focus on the little things (like Axew :3)
> 
> I hope you’ve enjoyed this small break from the more depressing elements of the kingdom. I do intend to look back at those very soon of course, but it’s nice to just have some time to be happy occasionally <3


	17. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An anger brewing inside her at the revelation that Iris may not always be hers, Serena must try to carry on as usual, despite the emotional pain digging into her...

Serena began to regret having decided so swiftly to work the kitchens once more. The moment her eyes fell upon the head chef in her large stained apron, she remembered how it had been the day before, the toil of chopping and washing, the work seeming never ending...

So much had happened in that time though, in those brief 24 hours... Yesterday, Azmera was here... Yesterday, she was more defiant, more confident... Yesterday, she was Serena, the free Kalosian citizen, the showcase star, the Pokemon trainer...

But today, she was Serena, the slave, the wife, the _white_...Her confidence, around Iris at least, was crushed... Her defiance was practically nonexistent...

So many changes in such a short time... In reality, she had ceased to be the original Serena the moment those men grabbed hold of her... But she did not know it... Inside, she **was** the same Serena... It wasn’t until she accepted her life as a slave that the old Serena was finally allowed to fade away... And even then, she still hadn’t fully accepted this reality... She had merely learnt to tolerate it, to accept that she couldn’t escape it... But accepting that you’re no longer a person, that you no longer have rights, that you no longer have freedom... That was something she had yet to accept... Perhaps it was even something she would never accept...

That mattered not now though... Work was what mattered... And Serena, in her anger, had given herself the burden of working once more...

The white girl took the knife that was handed to her quickly, snatching it from Akinyi’s hand as she started to chop the first vegetable at a mad, angry pace, her knife slamming into the chopping board...

“Serena, slow down, Serena! **Serena!!** ” Akinyi yelled as she grabbed the slave’s wrist, stopping the knife moments before it was about to slice through her thumb!

“Serena, what are you doing!? You nearly hurt yourself!” Akinyi shouted at the pale girl, making her shy away slightly...

“I-I’m sorry! I’m just... Nevermind!” The white teen blurted out as she went to grab another vegetable, Akinyi stopping her before she could...

“No, Serena, we are going to stop and work this out, you are clearly bothered by something...” Said the black girl sternly, making Serena glare at her...

“Look we both saw what Iris did, now lemme get back to work...” Serena retorted, glaring at the black girl as she held her still once more...

“I do not understand what the problem is... Her majesty is your wife, she shows affections towards another, and you act as if she has betrayed you in some way...” Akinyi said, shaking her head slightly as she spoke... Serena had some strange ways...

“Do not... What!? Am I mad or something!? _She’s_ my wife Akinyi, and _I’m_ hers... I thought I was hers, and hers alone... And now I see her true colours, I see how much I really mean to her!” The white slave spat through gritted teeth, Akinyi staring with great concern...

“I do not understand why you would expect such a thing... A man may have many wives, and with her Majesty being Queen, she may follow the same principle... Why would she suddenly decide to cast aside the affections of others in favour of just one woman?” The black girl asked, not realising how unwise her words were...

“I.... I’m her **wife!**... Do you not get how I feel right now? I feel like she’s taken any love and trust I had for her and **spat** it back at me! I had every right to expect I was her only love...” The pale teen said as tears started to fall past her cheeks, an overwhelming amount of emotion flooding through her... Even if Iris was the reason she was being held captive here, even if she owned her, even if she treated her as inferior, she had still found love in her... 

They had made love just yesterday, she had confided in her, they had enjoyed some wonderful moments... Despite how recently they’d met, despite how she’d been treated, despite everything else, Serena had been able to put at least some semblance of trust in her... And now all of that was gone, she felt so stupid for ever trusting that bitch!

“Serena, please don’t cry, it’s ok, I’m sorry, I didn’t know how upset you were...” Akinyi spoke sympathetically as she tried to comfort the girl, Serena breaking away from her, too upset, too angry at the black girl for how she’d dismissed her emotions...

On the brink of a full scale meltdown, she ran to a corner, huddling there, pulling her knees to her face as she stopped holding back, audibly sobbing behind her pale legs...

The head chef noticed, storming over with that same vegetable in hand, shouting angrily at Serena, moving faster than Akinyi could react!

But as she went to smack the girl, just as she had done to Azmera the day before, a figure stood between them, protecting the white woman from harm, putting themselves in front of her to keep the girl safe...

Akinyi almost couldn’t believe it... There, standing guard in front of her friend, was Sisay, the new slave! The black girl knew not if she could trust him entirely yet... This changed things however... If he was willing to put himself at risk to save her from a minor beating, it showed he cared... If he had plans of his own for her, and simply wished for her to trust him, Akinyi knew not... But she was confident that he would at least not cause her harm...

“Boy, get oughta my way before I whack ya!” The head chef shouted in Zhireti as she observed yet another slave be difficult... For years she’d had to deal with so many of them... Sometimes they’d cry, or they’d get too tired and sit down, or they’d simply refuse to work due to their own stubbornness... She had been kind at first, she used to be a nicer person, more lenient, more understanding...

But her job had commanded strictness, so strict she had become... Beating slaves was an easy task for her now... She’d do it to him, only she didn’t know if he was stupid enough to fight back...

“She’s upset! I’m not gonna let you beat her just because she’s crying!” Sisay replied in a defiant tone, the chef almost shocked by his refusal to obey...

“You forgotten your place boy!? You know you ain’t a free man here, we own ya, you ain’t got a say in this!” She said, trying to push past but getting stopped every time, he wasn’t gonna budge...

“Just five minutes, just give her five minutes to calm down and she’ll get back to work, alright?” The slave boy offered, trying to give the chef an alternative, the woman tapping her foot impatiently as she thought about it... She didn’t have time to deal with this... There were things in the kitchen that needed doing, she had to go observe the other slaves... They were probably slacking right behind her back!

“Two minutes, and she better work hard once she sorts out whatever problem these palmskins always seem to have...” The chef replied with a hint of disgust in her voice, walking away to get on with her work, the confrontation over...

The white girl had been watching through her legs, her crying subsiding as she realised something was happening in front of her... She was relieved to see that nasty woman walk off... Although her relief disappeared once she noticed the boy was peering down at her now, seeing that she had stopped crying...

Fearful of what Akinyi had said earlier, she shut her eyes once more, drawing her legs closer as she tried to hide herself away...

“Hey, you don’t gotta be scared, I’m not gonna hurt ya...” Sisay spoke to Serena, trying to reassure and calm her... The words were meaningless to the girl, the words of a language she could not understand... But his tone conveyed the general meaning enough that she began to relax a little, opening her eyes and moving her legs slightly away...

“You ok? You want me to get your friend?” He asked, pointing over at Akinyi, Serena nodding wordlessly...

Sisay beckoned the black girl over, the woman moving fast once she realised the situation had been completely de escalated and solved...

Helping Serena up and holding her slightly, Akinyi turned to Sisay, the boy looking at her with a sort of concerned expression, concerned for Serena, but also concerned at how the darker girl would react..

Staring at him with a hint of trust, she said the first kind words she had ever aired to this man, the first time she hadn’t been at all standoffish...

“Thank you... I mean it, really, thank you for protecting her...” Said Akinyi to the black boy, staring at him for a moment more before walking Serena back to her counter, the white girl staring thoughtfully at him as they moved away...

“Are you alright Serena? Did he... Touch you?” The black girl asked with concern, just to make sure... She didn’t know that he hadn’t, she had to be sure he wasn’t one to take advantage of people...

“What? No, no he just sorta... Talked to me...” Serena replied, Akinyi feeling relieved that he hadn’t done such a thing like that... Some men would simply touch a woman wherever they liked, or try to manipulate them into situations where such a thing could happen... Sisay didn’t seem like that... But she didn’t know him well enough to completely let her guard down...

Wordlessly, she handed Serena the knife again, and another vegetable, letting her get back to her tasks... Akinyi felt sorry for the girl... Not just because she was a slave... Serena was the most privileged slave in the kingdom, although she still did face some hardship...

She felt sorry for her because she simply didn’t know how things worked here... She would say rude or defiant things without realising it, show bad manners without the slightest knowledge of what she was doing... And now this with Iris, the misunderstanding about their marriage, it had overwhelmed the poor girl to the point of breakdown...

She watched Serena as she worked, the girl doing a fairly good job... Akinyi would have to try and be more understanding with her... Time after time, she kept treating Serena like a slave who knew the basics... But it was clear to her that Serena was like a child in that sense... She was still learning what everybody else did, what everybody else thought, how everybody else worked... It must be tough...

*********************************************

Serena managed to finish her work with time to spare, walking tiredly from the kitchen, along with some of the other slaves, as they went to take a rest... 

Akinyi began to lead her towards Iris’s bedroom, where the Queen was no doubt having another rest, but Serena stopped her...

“Please... I wanna go to the slave quarters... I wanna talk to that boy...” She begged her friend, Akinyi nodding, she would take her to see him... 

They arrived a few minutes later at the quarters, the room filled with many slaves, Sisay and Desta huddled together on some animal skins, chatting...

The couple both smiled as they saw the others walking towards them, friendly despite how Akinyi’s attitude had been... 

“Hey... Thanks for doing that for me back there... I hope I didn’t get you in any trouble?” Serena asked Sisay, Akinyi translating between them...

“None at all... No need to thank me either, I weren’t gonna let her beat ya over something like that...” Sisay replied with some sadness... He didn’t like that that woman was allowed to just hurt slaves like that... He’d come from a rough background and seen far, _far_ worse things happen to fellow slaves... But this was the palace... Could they not be more understanding in a place like this?

“My name’s Serena, it’s nice to meet you!” The white girl said with a smile, holding her hand out, Akinyi tugging it back the moment she realised what she was doing, she had warned her before about that!

“I’m Sisay, it’s nice to meet ya too... What’s with the hand though, they raise you as a boy or something?” He asked in confusion, no woman had ever done something like that... No woman could, it was incredibly bad manners... He was alright with it though, he did not believe strictly in things like that...

“S-Sorry... Kinda new to all of this... Everybody does handshakes where I’m from...” Serena replied, looking slightly worried about her actions...

“Please don’t be sorry, I’m fine with it... New huh? I mean I guess that explains that weird language you speak, and the fact you’re a little unfamiliar with stuff around here... But hey, I don’t mind helping you if you ever need it, I’ve got a lot of experience...” He said, surprisingly without a hint of flirting, despite the suggestive words... Clearly, he meant it, he would indeed try to help...

The pale girl smiled briefly, but then remembered about Azmera... She recalled how she’d been taken out of the palace, to be sold... And the men who had forced her through those doors were the same that returned with these two...

“Did... You see a white girl, kinda tan, brown hair and eyes?” Serena asked, her eyes deeply serious... She wanted to know what sort of owners she’d ended up with...

The couple’s eyes widened as they recalled the girl... They’d forgotten about her, too distracted by Ayele and his assistant...

“Y-yeah, young girl, she got swapped with us and went with our old owners... D-did you know her?” Desta asked the white girl, Serena nodding...

“Yeah, she’s been through a lot of shit... I’ve been quite worried about her, are your old owners kind?” The pale teen asked yet again, the pair feeling a pang of guilt fill them both as it dawned on them just where this girl had gone... They’d gone back to the fields, back to their shitty masters... and _him_...

“I’m... Sorry.... I’m so sorry...” Sisay said sadly, his voice choking a tiny bit, shaking his head side to side a little, as if wishing he could tell himself it hadn’t happened...

“Sorry? Sorry for what!?” Said Serena with a panic, dread filling her at their responses...

“I’m so sorry...” The boy replied, the guilt building within him, even though he could not have changed anything... He and his wife sat there, shaking a little, trying not to think about what that _monster_ was capable of...

“I-I think we should leave...” Akinyi said to her friend, pulling Serena away, the poor girl speechless... If they were saying sorry, for her ending up with certain owners, then how bad were they!?

*********************************************

Azmera stared with an empty gaze towards the floor, trying to ignore the mass on top of her, the reason she was lying on her front, the reason she felt so violated, felt such pain...

It had been a while now... Days? Maybe another week? She’d stopped counting the night... _it_... happened... The time since had been a blur, a blur of working in the fields, a blur of having to do... Horrible things...

She coughed a little as he hit her side, his motions erratic, doing just what he wanted to do... Azmera didn’t scream anymore... She didn’t struggle... She didn’t even sob...

She just let him do it... It was all she _could_ do... Escaping from him was impossible, if she tried the others would simply join in... She hated using those words... _Join in_... It made it sound like something fun... Something good... Not the hell she had to endure on a daily basis...

He made noises as he yet again did what Azmera once thought would never happen to her... She tried to ignore it, to drown it out, whispering the tune of one of the old songs to herself, the slave songs her mother had sung to her when she was a child... It brought her comfort, and it was the only thing she could do to try and take herself away from this moment, to escape from her hell... 

She wished she was back there, back in her mother’s arms, laying there as she stroked her head and sang to her, comforted her, cared for her... She wondered how she was right now... How she was coping without her... Maybe she was dead... Azmera couldn’t know... She probably never would...

She fought back tears as he became rougher, her head being pressed painfully against the skins below her, her eyes shutting tight as her whispering became more frantic...

“Y-you are my sunshine... My only sunshine... You make me h-happy... When skies are grey...” Azmera whispered to herself shakily, trying to drown out the noises, she had to drown them out...

“You’ll n-never know dear... How much I... L-love you...” She continued, her skull feeling like it might crack from the pressure, like her neck might snap from the force...

“Please... D-don’t take my sunshine away...”

A tear rolled down her cheek as he finally stopped, her ordeal over for now, until next time...

He leaned over and kissed her cheek, but there was no love in it... He did it because _he_ liked it... It made it feel normal to him... It made it feel like what he was doing was fine, he was just making love...

“Are you crying?” Mirach asked, although there was no sympathy in his voice... He sounded angry... She was ruining his moment with her emotions...

Azmera didn’t answer him, she couldn’t... She was terrified of him... Every word she said could get her beaten, or scratched, or kicked... Silent was safer... That was what she lived by now...

“I told you I didn’t like that... You better be listening to me bitch...” He spoke to her with disgust, like he’d just been doing it with some animal... To him, it was some animal... She wasn’t like him... She was white... She was a freak of nature... He hesitated to call her human...

She failed to acknowledge him, and his anger only grew... He grabbed a length of her matted hair, roughly yanking her up to face him, her eyes wide in terror as she stared into his harsh gaze...

“You listening?” Mirach asked again, his distaste for her evident in his tone...

“Y-yes sir...” She croaked out, barely a whisper, but enough for him to hear...

“Good... You gonna cry next time too?” He said with more frustration in his voice... No matter how hard he tried, she wouldn’t stop crying...

“No s-sir...” Azmera forced out those sad words once more... Yes sir... No sir... It was all she really said anymore... It was all he wanted to hear...

“Good... Get up, we gotta work...” Mirach said with not a hint of warmth, letting her head go as he stood up, her skull smacking noisily against the floor, making Azmera wince in pain...

But she had no time to recover... He grabbed her wrist, forcing her up, leading her towards the door that led back outside, back to the sun that scorched her back and dried her mouth...

He pulled her along with him, his hand clutching her wrist tightly, hurting her... Azmera could not tell him so though... He didn’t wanna hear about her problems...

“Heya Mirach, how was she today?” One of her owners asked with a chuckle, not even looking at her as he asked, she wasn’t worth looking at...

“Alright, stupid thing still cries though... And she keeps whispering shit whilst I’m doing her... Bitch is probably psycho!” Mirach replied, the two of them laughing as Azmera stood beside him, eyes empty, face empty, her lips forming neither a smile nor a frown, just a tiny line of nothingness...

He tugged her roughly over to the patch she had been working on, the last of the vegetables being harvested... She had been worked to the point of exhaustion so that they could clear as much as possible... Time was money, and these needed to be dug up whilst they were in season...

He let her wrist go with no care, letting it swing down beside her, the area bruised from his rough grip, not allowed to heal... It hurt so much when he touched her there... But she couldn’t say no anymore...

She took a deep breath for a moment, shutting her eyes, thinking of her mother, seeing her in her minds eyes, happy, smiling, there for her...

Once she was ready, she opened them again, struggling against the soreness in her body as she began to dig with her hands through the hot dirt... She hated this... She hated the pain... She hated the rape... Some days, she didn’t wanna get up at all... She just wanted to lay down forever and never get back up...

She’d contemplated defying her masters to the point of fatality, to just refuse to do anything until they beat her to death... Giving up and giving in would be so easy... She wanted to rest so bad...

Her mother was what kept her going... Thoughts of her mother... She would want her to keep going... She wouldn’t want her to die...

What would she think if she could see her now though? Would she be ashamed of her? Would she be disgusted by her own daughter? Azmera knew her mother could never be like that... But those thoughts refused to leave her... She felt so ashamed to even let them do this to her... Any dignity she had had been chewed up and spat out by the men... All she had left was mum...

Azmera let her tears hit the dirt as she lifted the vegetable into the sunlight... She wanted to be safe... She wanted to be with her mother again... She wanted to be free...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since we had a quite cheery chapter last time, I decided we should focus more on the stuff that matters this time around. I wanted to focus on Sisay a little more, and I’m glad he found a way to help Serena somehow, even if it wasn’t the best of situations.
> 
> Writing Azmera was the most difficult part today. Not only because writing about something so serious is hard to deal with, but trying to convey everything is difficult for me too. I feel sorry for her, for the situation I’ve put her in. I still don’t know entirely if or how she will ever find a way out of that existence.
> 
> Whatever happens, I hope all of you reading are having a good day, and I want to thank you once again for reading this. This has been the most meaningful work I’ve ever written, and I appreciate it so much that people take time out of their day to read it.


	18. Worries and Wishes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tired of being denied the information she wants so desperately to know, Serena tries to find out more...

Akinyi hurriedly led Serena from the room, knowing she should remove her from the situation before she got too emotional... She’d explain soon, she just needed to get Serena someplace else...

But Serena was worried now, she needed to know what was so bad about that place, why those two had been so apologetic...

As soon as they were both outside of the quarters, Serena slowed, tugging on Akinyi’s arm, deep concern in her eyes...

“What were they talking about Akinyi!?” The white girl asked worriedly, standing still, knowing that once she reached Iris’s room, Akinyi would be free to leave her side... Serena wasn’t gonna give her that chance, she **needed** answers...

Sighing, Akinyi turned to respond...

“Serena, please, I really c-“

“Yes you can! You can tell me! Akinyi, I get that you wanna just act like everything is fine, because you don’t want me getting upset, or doing stuff Iris won’t want me to do... But I’m u-upset already...” The pale teen replied, stuttering as her eyes began to well up...

The black girl hated seeing Serena so emotional... Gently, she hugged her, rubbing her back comfortingly...

“If you really must know, I will tell you...” Akinyi said softly to the girl, leading her over to the animal skins beside Iris’s throne, which sat unoccupied for the time being...

She sat Serena down, being careful not to sit on the skins herself.... The black girl sat on the floor beside her instead... It was uncomfortable, but she was well used to it by now... She’d sat on things that were far worse during her time...

Serena stared at Akinyi expectantly, waiting for her to speak, the black girl hesitating... She did not even know all the answers Serena wanted to know... But she knew from experience what Azmera was probably enduring...

“Serena... Over the last few days, you’ve slowly learnt about our ways here... So, tell me... What do you know of how the whites are treated, compared to the blacks?” The dark slave asked with some hesitation, she didn’t want to be having this conversation... Conversations like this were not easy, it was easier to just ignore things, try not to think on them... But if this helped Serena, stopped her from being a mess in front of Iris, then it was worth it...

“Well, from what I can see, there’s problems here with racism... I’ve only known Azmera, but I’ve seen how the others treated her, it was horrible... Is that what she faces with her new owners?” Serena asked somewhat naively... She knew the other slaves could be cruel to the whites, but that was the extent of her knowledge...

“Yes... But she may face worse Serena... If what I fear is true, she may have ended up with particularly uncaring owners...” The black girl replied, trying not to go too into detail... She wanted to tell Serena the bare minimum... The poor girl had been through a lot, she didn’t want to worry her further...

“I see... So they’d be like Iris?” The pale slave asked, her only experience with an owner was with the Queen... Akinyi shook her head back and forth... Serena was in for a shock...

“Her majesty is actually one of the kinder owners, perhaps even the kindest... As hard as it may be for you to believe, she is extremely lenient... Were you to have shown the same conduct you did with her to another owner, you would not have emerged so unscathed...” Her friend replied, trying her best to hold back from just how bad it would be in that situation... Serena did not know how lucky she was to end up as Iris’s slave... Akinyi had never known a better owner before... 

“Kind!? Akinyi, she raped me, she beat me, she threatened you with being sold, with me being sold or killed too... She is the furthest thing from kind... I tolerate her only because I must...” The white slave retorted with some anger, offended that Akinyi would defend that woman... She would never dare to utter that response in front of Iris, Serena knew it would only lead to trouble...

“You are wrong... I have been under far worse owners before... Owners who would beat you unprovoked... Owners who would make you work endlessly... I was spared from worse things **only** because I was a black... Your kind suffer all that and more, an unkind owner will not show pity on a white slave, even if they will on a black one... This is the way things are, Azmera might have ended up with such an owner... If she has, all we can do is pray for her Serena, pray that they treat her with some level of humanity...” Akinyi replied bluntly, she had to be honest with Serena... Azmera was probably in a terrible situation right now, things would be so much worse for her than they were at the palace...

The white girl didn’t reply... She sat there in deep contemplation, images filling her mind of the horrors her friend could be going through... She recalled what she’d learned in school... All the horrors _her_ people had caused for their slaves... Azmera could be enduring those same horrors right at that moment...

The girl did not cry, she did not shout... She just sat there in dread... Azmera deserved so much better... In Kalos, Azmera would have been free, she would have been loved... Even if she ended up in a poor household, with a family that did not show her the love she deserved, it would still be better than whatever she was going through right now...

The slave girl’s gaze rose up to the two large doors before her, the doors to freedom... She wanted to walk through them, she wanted to find Azmera, and her mother... She wanted to take them both and just run, run until they reached safety, until they were far far away from here... 

Without saying a word, she stood up, slowly making her way to the doors...

“Serena... What are you doing? Serena? Serena!?” Akinyi began to shout worriedly, this was not good, her friend was about to make a big mistake!

The white teen walked almost casually over to the wooden doors, the two large men guarding it standing in her path, their spears crossed....

“Open the door...” Serena ordered in a somewhat stern tone, the guards glaring down at her... The white didn’t know how lucky she was to be Iris’s wife... Were she not, they’d do far more than just stare...

“Open the door, and let me leave....” The pale slave ordered again, only one objective in her mind... Get out, get Azmera, get her mother, and **run**.

Seeing that the guards would not budge, she tried to push past, one of the guards losing his temper as the slave girl pushed her luck too far...

He grabbed her, throwing her away and to the ground with a loud **THUD!**. Akinyi ran over to pull Serena away as the white girl groaned with pain, Iris appearing from the other end of the hallway and noticing her slave laying on the floor...

“What has happened here!?!?” The Queen demanded angrily, her harsh glare focused solely on Akinyi!

“Your majesty it is alright, Serena had a fall, I am helping her up!” The black slave replied, lifting Serena up, the white girl’s legs shaking...

Her anger calmed, she ran over to her wife, hugging her as she stood there on unsteady feet, Serena wincing as she touched her sore back...

“Serena, are you ok!? Why did you fall, are you sick!?” Iris asked with a deep worry, knowing a sickness of the legs could prove fatal...

“N-no! No I’m ok, I’m sorry mistress, I-I tripped!” Serena blurted in a sort of panicked reassurance, Iris kissing her slave on the forehead repeatedly, relieved yet still protective...

“Oh Serena, Serena please be more careful, you might have hurt yourself... Do you need to lay down for a while, or are you hungry? Dinner will be ready soon...” Said the Queen, stroking Serena’s soft hair as she spoke, showing comfort to the girl...

“I would like to eat please mistress....” Serena lied... What she really wanted was to run through those doors and never return, food was the last thing on her mind... But she didn’t want to be alone right now, and she almost certainly would be alone in Iris’s room... Even if Akinyi stayed, it would do little to help... She both wanted to be alone, but also wanted to feel safe, and she was shaken by what the guard had done... Serena did not trust them to safeguard her, for all she knew, they would gladly do much worse...

Iris nodded, saying something to Serena as she led her slowly towards the dining room... But Serena wasn’t listening anymore... She was just thinking about Azmera, hoping she was alright, knowing she almost certainly was not...

*********************************************

Dinner today was much like yesterday, the only difference was the food... Rather than a soup or stew, it was a vegetable dish, a grain similar to rice mixed with sauces and stock to give it a great flavour...

The white slave wasn’t too focused on that right now though... She poked at her dish with the wooden spoon she had been given, eating a few small bites, but otherwise quite uninterested....

Beside her sat Teshome’s slave girl, her owner himself sitting opposite them next to Iris... Teshome was, in essence, the highest slave manager of the kingdom... He was not a slave master like Ayele, rather, he took care of the paperwork, the legal details... It was his duty to register and track the slaves in Iris’s households, just as he’d done with Serena the day before... 

The woman next to Serena looked over at the white girl, staring as she pushed the dish around the bowl, playing with her food...

“I would eat if I were you... You’re getting the finest food in the land, no other white would eat so well...” The black slave suddenly said in perfect English, Serena almost falling out of her chair in surprise at the sound of those familiar words...

“Y-you speak English!?” Serena blurted out somewhat loudly, quietening herself as Iris shot Serena a stern glare...

“Naturally... I am assistant to Teshome, my skills are useful and many... My point still stands though girl, I would eat up before your food becomes cold... I find it spoils the taste, although I doubt that would be of any significance to you...” The black woman said with a rude disregardment, returning to her own meal as Serena gazed back, insulted but surprised, she had thought that perhaps only Iris and Akinyi spoke her language here... She was clearly mistaken, more were able to do so, it would appear...

“M-my name’s Serena, what’s yours?” The pale slave asked, the woman staring back at her as if she were a difficult child...

“Etenesh... I would prefer it if you would cease speaking to me, I am trying to enjoy my meal...” The woman rudely replied, Iris speaking up...

“Serena, stop bothering Teshome’s girl and eat! I do apologise for her behaviour Etenesh, you and your brother are our guests here...” Said Iris, Serena looking quite surprised at the revelation... Etenesh was Teshome’s sister!? But she was his slave, how could he be a free man when his sister was not?

Serena kept silent for the rest of the meal, waiting for the room to clear... Once it had, however, she did not get the chance to speak... Iris had something she had to say first...

“Serena, you disappoint me... I give you the food from my table, I give you shelter, I give you love... Why do you continue to embarrass me?” The Queen said with a harsh disapproval, Serena feeling a little antagonised...

“I apologise mistress... I was surprised she could speak my language...” The slave girl said in apology, Iris calming very slightly...

“Very well... But I will still require that you refine yourself... This kind of behaviour has no place in my palace...” Iris said sternly, Serena wishing the Queen would dismiss her...

“Yes mistress... May I.. Ask a question?” Serena asked with hesitance, Iris staring at her with slight annoyance, sighing...

“Very well... But I do not wish to answer anything difficult...” 

Nodding in response, Serena pulled her chair a little closer to the Queen, leaning near her and keeping her voice low, just in case Teshome or his sister could hear...

“So... Th-they’re brother and sister?” She asked quietly, Iris seeming perplexed such a thing would be of interest to her wife...

“Yes... Half siblings in fact, Etenesh was born of Teshome’s father to a slave, that is why she works with him... I think it is rather fitting that both sides of the family have chosen to engage in the same work... I myself rank Etenesh as perhaps the finest slave I have ever known in terms of character...” Iris replied, her words hurting Serena deeply... She didn’t want to be a slave... But if she was gonna be with Iris, she wanted to at least be her favourite...

The white teen had another question though, a question she knew she probably shouldn’t be asking...

“So... Do they... Are they... um...” Serena mumbled, using her hands to demonstrate what she meant... And she meant something quite vulgar indeed...

A harsh **slap** hit Serena’s face, Iris glaring at her slave with disgust for even thinking such a thing!

“How **DARE** you try to insinuate such a thing!!! I’ll have you know that Teshome and Etenesh each have a partner of their own, and they would never partake in such a vile relationship with each other!!! Go to my quarters!!! **That is an order!!!** ” The Queen shouted angrily, Serena jumping out of her seat and sprinting from the room in terror as her mistress voiced her sudden intense disapproval!

Panicking, she practically scampered over to Iris’s bedroom, shutting the door in fear, cowering as she hid under the bedcovers!

That was what scared her about Iris, she could snap at any moment... One minute, she could be calm, the next enraged... Serena dreaded what would happen when Iris returned... She knew a good outcome was always the least likely option...

*********************************************

It was hours before Iris returned to her chambers. Serena heard the door open slowly, drawing the covers further over her, shaking as her footsteps drew ever closer...

Then, she felt her heart stop as Iris spoke, her voice cold...

“Come out...”

Terrified, Serena gradually lowered the covers, her blue eyes peeking out at her owner, expecting the worst, expecting to see an angry Queen, ready to take her frustrations out on somebody below her...

But to her surprise, Iris stared back tiredly... The slave could see her mistress was exhausted, Serena calming as she realised the Queen was too tired to be of any threat...

Her majesty slumped herself clumsily onto the bed, groaning very slightly, she’d had such a long day...

She turned her head to look at her wife, Serena averting her gaze the moment it met the Queen’s...

“I’m sorry...”

Serena looked back at her owner, surprised, did she just apologise to her!? She’d been so angered before, it was quite unlike Iris to be so forgiving...

“What you said really disgusted me... But... I was harsher than I should have been... Perhaps in your culture, is it not so easily shunned... I must try to be more understanding..” The black Queen said in apology, Serena shaking her head slightly...

“It’s ok mistress.... I should have known such a question would anger you... But my kind do not endorse that either, we have the same attitudes... I was just confused, I expected that with him being the master, and her being the slave, there would be such a d-dynamic....” The white girl said, holding back her words a little at the end, shutting her eyes in fear, just in case the words disgusted her mistress again...

“I understand Serena... Really, I do... But not all relationships between slave and owner are like ours... They may be many things... Teshome loves his sister in other ways... He named her, he assumed ownership of her so that she could be his assistant... He cares very deeply for his slave, as she does her master... They have no reasons to show each other any further love, it would be considered disgusting...” Iris explained, Serena nodding, she was beginning to understand things here...

“I understand mistress... I’m sorry for how I’ve been acting... I’ll try to do better, that is a promise...” Serena replied, kissing her owner on the cheek... And she meant it, she was sorry, she did mean to do better... Of all the things she’d done to offend Iris, accusing the Queen’s friends of incest was quite an understandable trigger...

“I know you do, my love... Things will get easier with time, Akinyi has agreed to give you Zhireti lessons, you will learn our tongue... It will help Serena, you need to be able to understand us all... Me and Akinyi cannot translate for you forever...” The Queen replied, kissing her slave on her pale cheek, cuddling her a little closer...

“Mistress, why did you choose me? D-Did you choose me? I’m very confused about how all of this happened, I never even got to meet you before the wedding...” Said the teen, Iris going slightly quiet...

“I... It’s a complicated thing Serena...” She said to her slave in avoidance, just like Akinyi, Serena seeming unchanged by those words...

“I’m good with complicated things...” Serena said with some defiance, the Queen almost becoming angry... But she couldn’t, Serena was her wife... She had a right to know...

She sat both of them up, moving her slave to her lap, trying to help her feel secure for what she was about to hear...

“F-for years.... I had wanted love, I had wanted somebody I could call my own... I attempted to find it with others... Akinyi was my first choice, but we were younger at the time, she was a former field slave... I could not have married her without weakening my image, and it would have interfered with her work here at the palace...” Said Iris quietly as she began to explain, Serena nodding silently... She would listen...

“My cousins were my next choice... They were of royal blood, they were perfect... But... I felt they were too much like me... I wanted to have a lover who was different, somebody I could teach, somebody I could learn from... So I decided it would be what I suppose could be termed a commoner... But this would have caused problems, they would’ve been a free man, they could influence the palace for their friends and family... It would’ve looked improper in the eyes of the public... Which is where you come in...” The Queen said with a smile, stroking Serena’s cheek...

“I knew a slave would be perfect... But I did not want a slave who was experienced, or from the fields... I wanted a slave I could teach, one that I could educate... So I told Teshome, and the others in charge of my slaves, that I should like a girl from one of the royal households to become my wife, one who had yet to undergo training... Unfortunately, all were trained from a younger age, and it would have been many years until there would be any that could be left untrained for me... So I gave them a different order...” She said, Serena becoming concerned by her words, they were so... Dominant, controlling... She wondered why her mistress would want such control, given she had so much power already...

“Your kind are exceedingly rare... Not the whites in particular... But those from outside our domain... Often, they end up with the other slaves in the fields or the homes, but I wished for one who could go directly to me... So I sent out an offer... If anybody could get a girl from the outside and bring her to me unharmed, they would receive much reward... And then, they found you, and everything worked out as it should...” Said the Queen softly as she finished speaking, kissing Serena on the cheek, the white teen staring at her with shock...

“Y-you... Our conversation... Y-yesterday... I was so scared, so abused by those men... You... You showed regret for it... Why the change!?” The slave girl asked in surprise, Iris choosing not to get angry at her words...

“I thought about what you said, and I realise it was my fault... I should have told those men to be gentler with you, that you should have been treated like a princess... I am truly sorry they caused you such problems in getting you to me...” The black woman replied, holding Serena close...

The pale slave tried to come up with a retort, something to shoot down what she said... But there was nothing she could say that wouldn’t anger Iris... This was more information than she had hoped for after all, even if it showed just how complicit her owner was in her capture... 

“I-it’s... Ok m-mistress... Thank you...” Serena replied, hating the fact she was thanking her... But it was better than causing yet more trouble...

Saying nothing, giving her slave a warm smile instead, Iris lay down, shutting her eyes, ready to rest herself fully after such a long, long day...

But Serena stared with open eyes towards the ceiling, everything having changed now that her owner had made that revelation... 

And she still had so many questions... Why did she want to choose a white girl, when her kind were supposedly inferior? Why did she have items like the comb here, despite there being no other white slaves in the palace, let alone any who would have access to it? She had recalled one from her wedding day, perhaps it was even the same comb, Serena didn’t know... But something wasn’t right, Iris knew something she didn’t... The slave wasn’t counting on finding out anytime soon though...

For the meantime, she would try to learn to adapt here, despite how much she did want to return home... This was gonna be her home now... All she could do was listen, learn, and keep her wits about her... It was gonna be a long time before she would be a settled slave girl...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ended up being somewhat of a filler one, mainly to introduce certain things and answer a few questions that some of you may have been curious about.
> 
> Things will likely change considerably next chapter. I’d like to break the cycle of spreading one day for Serena over several chapters, and instead go for something more loose, where time may be allowed to flow forward easier.
> 
> Some of you may have noticed that the series name is now “Ivory Eyes”. I felt that the old name was no longer appropriate, and this new one fits much better with the tone.
> 
> As always, I hope you are all having a good day, and I hope you all enjoyed this further addition to the story <3


	19. We’ll Meet Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time has gone by... But that doesn’t mean that all is well now...

It had been months since Serena had learnt why she had been captured... In those months, she’d stopped asking questions... She didn’t ask Akinyi about her relationship with Iris... She didn’t ask Sisay or Desta about their old owners... Serena kept her mouth shut tight, a wise move on her part... She learned next to nothing that she truly wanted to know, although she learned somewhat of the Zhireti’s history, their ways... 

Life had been fairly consistent for those few months... Serena would spend her days sat beside Iris’s throne, watching as subject after subject came, Teshome updating Iris on the condition of her slaves, Tizazu informing Iris of the status of her armies...

The Korebita were, as always, undefeated... Tizazu would always attempt to suggest they retreat, Iris would always refuse... It never changed, as did the situation... Serena sometimes wondered who these Korebita were... They could certainly put up a good fight...

Her relationship with Sisay and Desta had improved... She often came by to visit them now, occasionally working in the kitchen alongside them... And her relationship with Akinyi had started to become less frustrating too...

Every day, Akinyi would give Serena lessons on Zhireti... They were tough at first, she had nothing to really link to it, it wasn’t too close to Latin whatsoever... It was admittedly more complicated than English or French also, a much more built up language, especially compared to the former... 

Serena somewhat understood why the Zhireti saw English as primitive... It was so much less complicated than their own language, it was why they often didn’t learn it... In their eyes, it would be like trying to learn how to speak to babies, it was not worth their time...

The white girl was now slowly approaching a level of limited understanding... A few months was not enough time to become fluent, indeed, it would take a year or more just to be able to speak Zhireti in its basic sense... But she was learning fast, and Iris had begun speaking in her tongue more often around her slave... It helped her learn, and that was one thing Iris believed was most important...

Things were going well for the slave girl... But you cannot hide from the realities forever, no matter how much you want to... And Serena was going to learn that very, very soon...

*********************************************

Serena slowly opened her eyes to the sight of her mistress laying beside her, the Queen still asleep, softly snoring as her wife watched with a tired smile...

Gently, she leaned her head forward, planting a soft kiss against her owner’s lips, the black woman’s eyes fluttering open, a smile spreading across her face as she saw Serena’s kind visage gazing back at her...

“Good morning...” Iris said in Zhireti, one of the many useful phrases Serena had been learning... She only knew small stuff like that now... But she was doing so well...

“Good morning Iris...” Serena replied in the same language as the Queen’s arm moved to cuddle the white girl, rubbing her back a little...

They talked a little, discussing things, making small talk as they both woke up together... The day proceeded as usual, breakfast in the dining room, and then a day by the throne, Serena making the decision to forgo the latter half of this process and instead work the kitchens... 

You’d imagine getting to lay about all day would make for a good existence, but in reality, it was completely and utterly dull... Serena didn’t necessarily want to work, but she wanted to do something to help work her muscles a little bit...

*********************************************

Serena strolled into the kitchen as usual, giving the head chef a friendly wave, the woman looking at her with the general dislike she showed every time they met...

She took up a space opposite Sisay and Desta, who were working together to do the washing up, the couple smiling as they saw their friend...

They both said their greetings, Serena saying hers back as she took a vegetable from the basket beside her, starting to chop...

The conversation was very simplistic owning to Serena’s language skills, mainly just little stuff like “How are you?” and “Good”, with Desta and Sisay’s own conversation between each other also helping the girl learn... Day by day, she was picking up new words, some the Akinyi hadn’t even been teaching her...

Speaking of Akinyi, the black girl soon came into the room herself... She had been dealing with business around the palace, but being free, she had decided to pay a visit to the kitchens...

She went up to the group, saying her hello’s, the conversation starting to get more complicated as Akinyi helped Serena with the words she didn’t understand...

“Hey, Serena, you heard what happened with Ayele yesterday?” He asked the white girl, who knew of Ayele now... She had often seen him before she did, but she learnt of his name within a week of her stay at the palace... She had luckily never had the misfortune of actually meeting the man, but she could see how the others often feared him...

So this question intrigued her... Ayele was not known to ever do anything of significance, he did what his position demanded, although he had been known to take things to extremes from what she’d heard...

“No I haven’t, what’s he done?” Serena said with a curious smile, sensing that something interesting must have happened for Sisay to be speaking of him...

“Oh it was the funniest thing we’ve ever seen... So, we had these two female slaves who were, let’s just say, _very friendly with each other_ , and they were doing what two people do when, yknow, they’re _very very good friends_...” He said, gesturing certain, unsavoury things, Desta giving him a quick sharp kick in his shin to tell him to knock it off, which he did swiftly...

“Oooh... Alright, well, where does Ayele come in? He’s not opposed to um, _that_ , is he?” The pale slave asked in confusion, from what the other slaves had told her, Ayele was the sort of master who got involved only when necessary... His methods were strict and harsh, but often, he would leave the slaves to themselves...

“Nah, he’s good with that... But he thought they were doing something else... Something a little less lovin’... It went like this...” Sisay said as he suddenly began pretending to be Ayele, stomping about on the spot, trying to look big and tough, the girl’s giggling as they watched his impersonation...

He pointed at nothing on the floor, wiggling his eyebrows about comically, all three slave girls unable to hold back from their giggles...

Oh but then, came the voice...

“What **are** you two **doiiiing!!!** Stop fighting **at once!!!** “ He boomed like Ayele would, the giggles turning to full on laughter, Sisay himself becoming giddy as he gave up the impression, joining the rest...

“Ooh man it was good! He thought they were having a fight, and then he went to pull one off the other and saw what was going on! He was so embarrassed at what he’d done!” He chuckled, slapping his thigh as the others laughed around him, composing himself for one more Ayele impression...

He pretended to look surprised as he stared at the empty floor, scampering away on the spot like a dog with its tail between its legs, almost dainty, the others crying with laughter as the head chef looked over, annoyed by the whole thing, they were meant to be working!

“Hey! Get back ta work!” She yelled, the slaves calming themselves down, returning to their tasks before she really got mad...

“I can’t believe that happened omg!” Serena said, a small giggle in her voice, the others giggling a little too at that weird thing she added to the end... The white girl always seemed to have weird ways of speaking, saying words that not even Akinyi knew... 

“Yeah, he literally walked out of there as fast as he could, didn’t even punish them or anything for wasting his time!” The black boy said as he helped carry a pan to the sink, his wife scrubbing the grease out of it with her scourer...

“Wow, never thought I’d hear the day where Ayele ended up like that... But how’s he been treating you guys? I’ve heard he’s been a bit rough sometimes...” Serena asked with concern, she did like to make sure he wasn’t threatening them... Sisay and Desta were her friends, and she was gonna make damn sure he wasn’t giving them trouble...

“He’s been alright with us, in fact he’s been quite alright with most of us lately...” He reassured his friend, a smile returning to her face as they carried on with the work, Akinyi standing still for the moment as the conversation reminded her of something...

It was true that lately Ayele had been somewhat less violent, although he had still been harsh with his tone and his volume... Akinyi hated that man, she hated most men... Sisay was probably the only man she trusted around herself and Serena...

But the thing it reminded her of was Azmera... Ayele was known for being violent, but he had shown his full strength against the girl... Had Akinyi not been there, she would have been dead...

The black girl didn’t know wether that had been worth it though... She knew Azmera’s current owners were, from the scant info she managed to extract from Sisay and Desta, pretty bad... But they had been reluctant to go into detail, and hinted that there was somebody else other than her owners who would be a problem...

Akinyi knew not the answers, and she was not about to pry further right now... Acting as if nothing had been bothering her, she joined back in with the conversation, chatting with the others as they worked to prepare the royal dinner...

*********************************************

Iris waved at Serena as she left the kitchen, still sat on her throne, her slave tired, but not too exhausted...

“Oh, Serena I have the most wonderful news!” The Queen exclaimed happily before Serena even had the chance to speak, making her stop and stare just before she reached her owner... 

“What is it mistress?” She asked, coming a little closer, she wasn’t sure what news Iris could have that would concern her...

“Well, you, me and Akinyi are gonna be going on a little trip! We’ll be heading over to Kekorebitawochi Āk’irabīya for a few days...” Iris said with a grin, Serena unsure wether she should be delighted or concerned by this revelation...

She gave Iris a smile back regardless, after all, it could be a nice trip...

“How far is that place mistress? Is it part of our kingdom?” The slave girl asked with curiosity, Iris taking her hand and pulling her a little closer to the throne...

“It will take a few hours of journeying my sweet, and yes, it is a part of our glorious kingdom... The trip will be one of show of course, I need to ensure my power stays strong throughout my domain... But we will find plenty of time to enjoy ourselves, we’ll be staying in the best accommodation in the village...” Her majesty explained to her wife, speaking of it as if it were a vacation, a chance for them to escape the grounds of the palace and enjoy a new environment...

Serena herself was now excited about the idea... She’d gotten so sick of being stuck here constantly, knowing no life outside of these walls... Being both Iris’s wife and a slave of the palace, she was not permitted to leave at any time, even with Akinyi... 

In all honesty, she’d become scared to... The palace was her home now, it was secure, it was safe... She didn’t know if she was entirely ready to venture out... And she hoped that she wouldn’t have to wear that horrible collar again...

“M-mistress, will I have to... I don’t want them to put anything around my neck!” Serena said anxiously, Iris hugging her a little to reassure her...

“No my dear, no collars, no restraints... I trust you enough that I know you wouldn’t try to leave me... I know it is risky, but you are my wife, and I love you...” Iris replied, kissing her slave gently on her forehead, the girl calming... The white teen was rarely tense around the Queen anymore, she had learnt what bothered her and what did not, she was able to find love in Iris... But only by doing **exactly** what her mistress wanted...

“Thank you mistress, I really don’t like them at all... So... When do we leave?” The slave asked her owner, hoping it would be soon... Despite her anxieties, she did want to leave the palace... She missed the fresh air... She missed being out in the warm sun... She missed _life_...

“We leave tomorrow morning... I thought I’d surprise you my dear, and I did not wish to keep you waiting...” The Queen told her wife, stroking her cheek as Akinyi came to join them, standing aside from the scene... It was not her place to join them, the conversation may be intimate for all she knew...

“Oh, Akinyi, I have good news for you! The three of us will be going to Kekorebitawochi Āk’irabīya... We’re going to be going back to your old home, aren’t you excited?!”

Serena felt the smile on her face fade as she realised just where they were headed... The village Akinyi had told her about, the day they first met, the village her friend came from, the village where was enslaved by the Zhireti... That was where they were going tomorrow...

But Akinyi did not show her emotion... Unlike Serena, she’d had years of experience, years of pretending to be in good spirits when she really wanted to lay down and cry...

“I am delighted your majesty, I look forward to travelling there with you...” Akinyi lied... In reality, she was dreading the prospect of returning... She had not been there since the fall of her tribe, Iris had gone many times, but never with her... Akinyi had always had a reason not to go, something she could use to get herself out of the visits... But Serena was here now, she still relied on Akinyi, and the black slave knew she would not be able to avoid it this time around...

“Perfect! We leave tomorrow morning..” Iris replied cheerily, standing up off her throne, holding Serena’s hand...

“But for now, me and my wife must move to the dining room, dinner will be ready very soon...” She said to Akinyi, making it evident just how hungry the Queen was... With her news out of the way, she wanted nothing more than to make her way over there...

“Of course your majesty, I hope you both enjoy your meal...” Akinyi said with a bow as she turned and left, Serena staring at the girl worriedly... She hoped her friend would be alright with going back... She couldn’t imagine how that must feel...

*********************************************

Akinyi and Serena walked down the hallway that led to the royal bathhouse, neither slave saying a word to each other... Having just returned from dinner, the white girl was ready to wash and recuperate... But her worries for her friend were beginning to grow...

Once inside, it was the usual system... Akinyi began to fill the pool with the hot water, making sure the temperature was right before making her way to the door, Serena stopping her before she could...

“No... Please, stay, I need to talk to you...” The paler slave said, the black girl staying put as her friend walked into the pool, looking over at Akinyi as she lay in the waters...

“Akinyi... Are you alright? I know what Iris plans to do tomorrow must be hard for you...” Serena said, the darker slave going silent... She did not want to answer... But she knew that Serena would stay concerned if she didn’t... And she’d been thinking over what to say to her, she knew what she had to tell her friend..

“I... Do not like to talk about such things... But yes, it will be difficult... You will be there though, and I will be strong... I will not let myself be cowardly in the face of this, I will accept whatever I come to find...” Akinyi replied somewhat poignantly, every word of it true... She was many things, but she was **not** a coward... As much as she wished she could avoid going back there, returning to the place where she’d grown up, to the community that had long since disappeared, she would not try to change things... Iris wanted her there, and Serena needed her there... It was not something that could be debated...

“Oh... That’s very brave of you... I don’t think I could be so accepting if it were me... And honestly, I am worried about what I might find myself, I have never seen the workings of this kingdom before... And I’m a little scared to leave here too after being in this place for so long...” Admitted the white girl, rambling a little, Akinyi walking over to sit beside the pool, Serena’s anxiety worrying her too...

“I know not what you saw before you reached here... But you may find things that... Surprise you...” The black slave told her friend, wishing she could join her in that pool... It was hard to talk to her when you were only allowed to be _near_ her... 

Had it been earlier during her time here, Serena might have asked further... But she knew she’d find out exactly what Akinyi meant when they ventured out... She’d hold her tongue on the issue until she herself has seen it...

“I understand... I’m sorry if I made you comfortable with my questions, I-“

The white slave went silent was she noticed that Akinyi was welling up, sitting there silently as tears began to form in her eyes...

“Akinyi, are you o-“

“I’m fine!” Lied the darker girl as a few tears ran down her cheeks, her mind had returned to that village of hers... She was remembering things she had tried to forget... 

Somehow, she managed to cease her crying, sniffling slightly as she composed herself... She would be brave, she would not be a coward, she would not falter so easily again...

“I-I’m fine... M-May I wait outside?” Akinyi asked shakily, Serena nodding with concern, feeling somewhat guilty for discussing the subject with her...

Saying nothing, the dark slave left the room, shutting the door behind her, covering her face with her hands as she tried to keep the tears from returning...

*********************************************

The next morning came... Serena had finished her bath the night before and returned to Iris’s chambers... She did not tell her what had happened with Akinyi, or of her own concerns... This was an important day for her wife, she was not gonna be the reason it became a difficult one...

Serena shut her eyes as blinding sunlight hit her face, the doors from the palace being pulled open before her, the first time she had properly been able to see the outside since the wedding...

Whilst sitting at Iris’s side, she had seen the doors open and close many times... But she had been further from them, she hadn’t had the chance to really experience the view... And what a magnificent view it was...

The village of Bewenizu Āt’egebi was sprawled out over the landscape before them... It was by no means a city, but it was large and vast, big enough to house hundreds of people... 

She could see some of the larger huts near the palace, the stately homes of this kingdom, the huts becoming less and less fancy the further they got from the building...

Despite having lived here for months, Serena had never seen the scale of her home village, nor even thought about it... Her knowledge of the kingdom was comprised mainly of words, not tangible things she could see with her own eyes...

But she was seeing them now... And soon, she would see much, much more...

The white slave walked down the palace steps, her mistress’s hand resting on the girl’s shoulder, Iris keeping her slave close to her... She was her love, she was her life... Iris would make sure she stayed safe... Even if it wasn’t her who would be there to do that...

Akinyi followed the pair, hiding her feelings deep inside her as she walked with them... The  
black girl was dreading this trip more than anything... 

There was a carriage waiting for them, two bouffalant bullocks serving as oxen, as beasts of burden that would help them reach Akinyi’s old village...

Serena was a little surprised to see such a familiar Pokemon here... There had been bouffalant in Kalos before of course, but she’d never expected them to be found out here too... Clearly, they had a greater range than she’d realised...

She approached them, seeing they were tame, but as she went to stroke one, Iris shouted...

“Serena! Don’t touch that thing, I’m not gonna have you smelling like an ox when we arrive!” The Queen called out to her slave, not angry at all, but rather in a panic... If her wife so much as pet the beast, she’d have to go right back in and wash!

Reluctantly, Serena moved away, going back over to her owner as Akinyi stood beside the carriage, obediently waiting for her mistress to come inside...

Leading her white slave alongside her, Iris stepped inside the carriage, Serena’s eyes lighting up as she saw its appearance... It was beautiful, lined and padded with silk, cushions decorating the bench like seats, the inside of the vehicle the height of luxury here...

They stepped through first, followed by Akinyi, all three sitting down on the seats... This was one of the rare occasions where the slave could sit on the same things her owner did, although she still sat opposite the two...

The driver started to pull out, Iris and Serena facing towards the front, Akinyi with her back to it, the oxen pulling with all their strength as the carriage began its journey...

Slowly, it moved down the road that led away from the palace, travelling the route Serena journeyed when she first married Iris... 

Serena herself couldn’t help but feel strange as they reached the village square, it felt almost.. Familiar... The centre, where all the dancers had been, where she’d been first introduced to Iris... It all seemed like yesterday, not months ago...

As they drove onwards, they saw other sights, various different huts, some for living, some for other purposes... Serena saw some signs, but she didn’t understand the words, the alphabet was still completely unknown to her... 

She saw so many people too... Slaves, wives, men, women, children... This was so much more than a tribal settlement... People had their whole lives here, this was a bustling, **living** village...

But she soon saw one sight that the white slave never wanted to see, something she hadn’t even thought about... The slave market...

Thankfully, they were only passing by it, not through it... But she caught glimpse of the slaves on the platforms, some like her, some like Akinyi... She had thought that white slaves must be exceedingly rare... But there was a good number on sale today, it was deeply concerning...

She had no time to properly take in the sight however... As quickly as it had come into view, they were once again out of sight, the marketplace disappearing off into the distance as they continued on their journey...

*********************************************

Serena watched as the carriage passed through the gates leading out of Bewenizu Āt’egebi, the men standing guard there solemn and still like statues...

The entrance soon became obscured by trees as the vehicle moved away from the village, the jungle taking over, the dirt road beneath them the only indicator that they weren’t in the middle of nowhere...

Soon becoming bored by the unbroken sequence of green, Serena turned to face Iris, a small smile on her face...

“I’m glad we’ve gotten a chance to get back outside... Your palace is amazing, but... It feels good to be outdoors again...” Serena said slowly, her mistress beaming back at her... Seeing her wife happy made her feel even better...

“I understand completely my love... I have had those feelings my entire life here... I grew up in that palace, and I wished greatly I could venture out more often... I did indeed, however, get to do visits such as this, and they allowed me much respite... And this shall allow _us_ that same experience... You will love this Serena, it will make that time spent inside worth it...” Iris said to her slave, kissing her forehead as Akinyi sat nearby, watching the two... She hoped Iris was right, for Serena’s sake... The black slave would probably be able to deal with any emotion that might come up, but Serena might seriously struggle...

But she was confident that things would be alright for her... Akinyi had told her enough of the kingdom, of its workings, there should be no shocks... Or at least, she hoped there wouldn’t...

The thick jungle quickly and suddenly broke out into open air, the sudden burst of sunlight piquing Serena’s curiosity, making her poke her head outside to see where they were..

To the left of them, the side where Iris sat, there was yet more thick jungle... But to the right, on her wife’s side, there was another sight entirely...

Fields spread across the landscape here, so large and vast in size that they disappeared over the horizon, looking as if they might go on forever, an endless farmland...

They were dotted with patches of green, some of the areas cleared out, the harvest season drawing to a close... The closer to the road the field was, the greener... The crops were picked starting from the inside and travelling out, finishing once they near the forest...

All of the fields did, of course, belong to separate landowners... Some had much more to pick, meaning they had much more crops still left unharvested, whilst those from smaller farms were generally almost finished...

But it was not the fields themselves that caught the pale girl’s attention, nor was is the strange crops that grew there... It was those who were forced to work them...

She looked out at them as they passed, many of them quite far from the edge of the road, only able to wave at the lone carriage as it passed, if they did indeed wave at all... Serena knew they were slaves like her, they were being worked heavily out here... She felt a slight guilt at her privileged position, especially as she passed the field whites... They looked so much like her, yet they could not be more different...

The teen continued to watch as they travelled along the road, the carriage occasionally jolting when it hit a bump or crevice in the road, the huffing of the oxen filling the otherwise empty air... There were noises of course, insects buzzing, birds tweeting... But it still seemed so quiet compared to the hustle and bustle of her village...

Suddenly, Serena noticed one particular slave, standing not too far from the road, digging through the crumbly soil with her hands as she uprooted the root vegetable the royal slave so often chopped... She was white like Serena, young, and oddly... familiar...

The carriage passed her as she forced the plant up, her face coming to meet hers as she went past, Serena’s eyes widening in shock as she recognised her finally...

As the vehicle began to move away from the field slave, Serena turned to her owner, intense desperation in her eyes...

“Please! Stop the carriage! I need to get out! Please!” She begged, Iris startled by her sudden demand, staring angrily at her wife...

“No, Serena, I don’t know what you’re doing, but you will stop it n-“

“No no please please! **STOP!** ” The royal slave girl yelled, the carriage driver stopping the vehicle in surprise, Serena taking the opportunity to hop out of the side!

“Ugh! Akinyi! Follow her! And don’t you dare let her step in any shit!” Iris barked, her slave obediently rushing out to follow her friend, chasing after Serena as she ran back to the spot where she’d seen the girl...

Thankfully, she was still there, still harvesting... But as Serena came up to her, she gasped, finally allowed to see exactly what had happened to the slave...

She was in a sorry state... The field white was filthy, dirt rubbed deep into her skin, her body sweating profusely from the heat, most of her skin burnt red by the sun above, her wrist bruised purple... Her eyes had sunken even more than before, her gaze cold and empty as it met that of Iris’s wife...

Serena stared in complete and absolute shock at the woman who stood before her, unable to even comprehend that this was _her_...

“A-Azmera?” She asked, the white slave girl giving her a small, imperceptible nod in response... She looked so tired, exhausted, worn out... 

This was not the girl Serena had met all those months ago... Azmera was never in a perfect condition, and she had been so upset before... But she was cleaner, she seemed slightly healthier back then...

Her lips quivered as she stared sadly at the shallow husk that was once the girl known as Azmera, her counterpart saying nothing at all... She had learnt to hold her tongue, nothing was more important than that, even with another of her kind...

“Wh-what happened to you!?” Serena asked in Zhireti, shocked, the whole image seeming unreal... She had completely forgotten about the girl’s supposed fate, the “bad owners” Akinyi had mentioned to her the day after Azmera was taken from the palace, about the fact she was what Iris had called a “field white”...

Azmera almost went to speak, her parched lips opening slightly... But they shut fast the moment Akinyi joined them, the black girl looking over at her also... She was less shocked than Serena to see what their friend had become, she’d seen such a sight before... So many times, too many times...

“Wh-what’s wrong?” Serena asked Azmera, noticing the change in her when Akinyi arrived...

“She’s Akinyi, don’t you remember? She’s your friend, I’m your friend, I’m Serena...” She spoke to the girl, hoping to receive a response... Azmera knew who they were, she remembered them... But she was not about to counteract all she had been forced to learn under these owners... And she was fearful of Akinyi, even though she had saved her life... She could not trust the blacks anymore... Not after what had been happening to her...

“Azmera, I helped you in the palace, I was there for you... You remember, don’t you?” Akinyi asked, taking a few steps towards her, the white slave taking the same amount back...

“Y-yes miss...” The field slave replied fearfully, stress and anxiety wracking her face......

“You look terrible... What have they been doing to you? Why are you so scared of us, we’re your friends, we’re not here to harm you...” Serena spoke again, some of her words inadvertently becoming English through her lack of Zhireti knowledge... They were trying to get through to the girl, but Azmera was becoming more fearful...

“Y-you should not have come here... Y-you have to go... Please...” Azmera replied, her voice somewhat hushed, as if she didn’t want somebody to hear...

“Go? Why? What’s wrong Azmera!” The white slave asked with extreme concern... She could hear the fear in Azmera’s weak voice... But she could also hear the pain, she could hear the sadness... She failed to notice the figure swiftly approaching them, the girl focused too closely on her friend...

“I-I can’t explain, please, y-you gotta-“ 

Azmera cut her sentence short as Mirach reached her, wrapping his arms around the girl and kissing her cheek...

“Hey honey... Who are these, friends?” He asked, faking a smile, putting an arm lovingly around Azmera’s shoulder... But Serena could see there was no love in the slave girl’s eyes... She stared back at her, tense and fearful...

“Yes... We’re her friends... And who might you be?” Serena asked with antagonistic tone, shooting a glare at the man as he held Azmera close...

“Who, me? I’m another good friend of hers, we’re all friends here...” Mirach replied with a grin, Serena feeling kinda creeped out by the boy... Something was... Off... With him... 

“Well... My name’s Serena, what’s yours?” She asked, feigning friendliness for the moment... She wanted to know who this prick was... She could just tell that he had something to do with whatever had happened to her friend...

“I’m Mirach, nice to meet ya Serena... Didn’t know they let white’s keep their names anymore!” He chuckled, Akinyi joining Serena as both royal slaves glared at the man, his racist joke eliciting no laughter from anybody other than himself... Serena didn’t even understand all of his words, her knowledge of Zhireti was fairly patchy... But she could tell he was being a cunt regardless...

“Alright well, it’s been lovely chatting with ya... Me and my girl have gotta go though, we’re gonna have ourselves a little break... Isn’t that right sweetie?” He asked Azmera, kissing her cheek, the girl shuddering...

“Yes sir...” She forced herself to reply, trembling with fear, Mirach’s hands starting to wander...

“Actually...” Akinyi suddenly shouted, somewhat stern... “The three of us wish to chat some more...” 

Serena watched on as Akinyi spoke up, she knew this guy couldn’t be trusted... She dreaded to imagine what he must be doing to her... Inadvertently, she clenched her fists, anger filling her... Azmera didn’t deserve to be stuck with this bastard...

“Oh does she? Is that right?” He asked his girl again, a smile on his face... She knew what he’d do if she even **thought** of defying him...

“N-no sir...” Azmera stammered out, wishing she could say yes, that she could stay here without him... She just wanted a break... That was all she wanted... Every moment with him made her wish she was dead...

“Well, there we go! Come along honey...” Mirach said with a smug grin on his face, grabbing Azmera’s sore wrist, making her wince once more as he began to tug her away...

“ **Take your hands off of her!** ” Serena suddenly snapped, Mirach stopping in his tracks, turning around, throwing Azmera’s wrist aside as he stormed back over...

“What did you say to me girl? Huh?” He asked sternly, displeasure in his voice, Azmera’s eyes widening as he approached her friend, Serena’s glare still strong despite the situation... This was bad... They shouldn’t have come here, they should’ve stayed far away!

“You heard me! Leave her alone!” Serena shouted, her Zhireti just good enough to get this statement out... Akinyi had taught her well, but she wished she knew more, she wished she could tell Mirach what she _really_ wanted him to hear...

“I wouldn’t be so bold if I were you, honey...” Mirach replied, zero warmth in his voice, starting to approach the girl, Serena backing off warily...

“I don’t see your owner around girl... Although I get a funny feeling you’re gonna get to see _them_ very soon!” He exclaimed as he sped up slightly, his intentions clear, he had plans in mind for Serena, plans that would make her no different to her friend!

“ **Her owner is there!!!** ” Akinyi blared, pointing at the carriage, stopping him in his tracks, just as Serena was beginning to realise what he was trying to do...

The white slave moved closer to her black friend, Akinyi holding her protectively...

“Uhh... Fine! Bitch got an attitude anyway! Not like my girl...” Mirach said with yet another grin as he grabbed Azmera, touching her in places that made Serena want to kill him, forgetting her fear briefly as Akinyi was forced to hold her back... She could not fight him, even if they both tried he could really hurt them...

Azmera stood there, feeling humiliated as she let him touch her, ashamed that she was being forced to go through this degrading abuse in front of her friends... She didn’t want them to see this... She didn’t want them to see her at all... She felt dirty, she felt disgusting... She felt helpless...

He started to lead her away again, Akinyi hastily tugging Serena back towards the carriage, the girl leaving hesitantly as she watched her friend being helplessly dragged away by Mirach, both girl’s eyes meeting, blue staring into brown as they were forced to go their separate ways...

Serena wished she could take Azmera with her, take her away from this awful place... She would face bullying at the palace, but it was far better than whatever hell she was clearly being forced to endure here...

Azmera felt the same... She felt the pain shooting through her wrist from the male slave’s tight grip, she felt the aching in her legs from being forced to stand for hours and hours... She wanted to leave here forever, she wanted to just run and run until she couldn’t run anymore... 

“The fuck were those people? You must’a hung around some weirdos in your time girl!” Mirach said with a slight chuckle, hiding how angry he felt right now from Azmera... He couldn’t believe what had happened... A **palmskin** had spoken up against him!? And she’d gotten away with it!

“Tell you what though, if I ever get the chance, I’m screwing your friend... Bitch might be feisty, but damn is she hot!” He exclaimed somewhat lustily as he thought of the girl, Azmera feeling even more disgusted by his behaviour today than usual... It was one thing to threaten her with this shit, to abuse her... But Serena didn’t deserve to join her...

His footsteps trod loudly on the dirt as he tugged his girl back in the direction of the slave quarters, the building that had become a place where such vile, disgusting, distressing things happened to her...

As they neared it, Azmera took one last look at the carriage, the vehicle now little more than a dot on the horizon...

She couldn’t take it anymore... She had to get away from here... She didn’t know where she would go, she didn’t know how she was gonna do it... But she knew she had to try **something**...

She would be punished heavily if she tried to escape... They might even end up killing her... But between living a life of enslavement, trapped with a man who abused her every day, and the eternal rest of death, Azmera was willing to take her chances...

It was either escape, or die trying... And it was clear that either outcome was better than being forced to remain here for a moment longer...

*********************************************

Iris glared at Serena as Akinyi forced her back inside the carriage, anger in her eyes...

“Serena, what the **hell** do you think you’re playing at!? Do you understand how disobedient you have been!?” The Queen shouted at her girl, Serena, nodding, still trying to deal with the feelings she felt towards Mirach...

“You’ve not only **defied** my orders, you have ran from this carriage and held up our journey! Do you have any idea just how tight of a schedule we’re on!? I have to get there **on time** , give a speech, have dinner with the governor... We do not have time for any of your issues!” She barked at Serena, who promptly got onto her knees, ready to beg for forgiveness... Iris was pissed, super pissed... It would take careful words to stop this from turning violent...

“Yes mistress... I apologise greatly... I was careless, and I was selfish, and I was inconsiderate... Please accept my deepest apologies...” Serena apologised in Zhireti, some of the key language Akinyi had taught her centred on apology...

“You should count yourself lucky we are in such a hurry now, thanks to **you!** I cannot punish you whilst we’re travelling... Just sit down, we need to go...” Iris said coldly, sternly, shouting to the driver to move, the oxen huffing as they were forced to pull again, the wooden wheels of the carriage turning once more...

But as Serena sat down, she suddenly remembered something... She could see the intent in Mirach’s eyes earlier, the ways he touched Azmera, the _places_ he’d touched her... Oh god... He was gonna-

“No! Wait! Mistress! We have to stop! We have to go back!” The white slave suddenly wailed, Iris’s glare growing ever more engaged...

“Slave, sit down and shut up!” The Queen ordered harshly, never calling Serena by that name unless she was _really_ pissed off...

“No! No you don’t understand, m-my friend, she-“

“ **I SAID SILENCE GIRL!!!!** ” Iris boomed loudly, even the driver having to cover his ears as it pierced through Serena’s, making her crumble at her owner’s words...

“If you keep this shit up any longer, I **WILL** turn us around, and I will take us **RIGHT BACK** to the village, and I will leave you there without me, and it’ll make us lose hours of progress, and it will all be **YOUR FAULT!!!!** ” She snapped loudly and harshly at her wife, Serena feeling her heart stop in terror, she hadn’t seen her this angry in months!

“Y-yes mistress! I-I’ll be good!” Serena stuttered out panickedly before forcing herself to go still and silent, terrified... Iris was at her breaking point... and she was not about to see what would happen if she pushed her further...

“Good...” Was all the Queen said in reply, turning to face away from her slaves, fuming with anger, trying to use her self control to stop herself from punching her wife...

All three of them sat there in complete silence as the carriage once more moved under the treeline, reentering the woods and continuing on their long journey... And they all knew, sitting there without saying a single word, that this really was gonna be a long, long trip...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took a while, but I feel it was worth it for the results. I’m also just glad to be able to expand the story outside of the palace, it was starting to feel somewhat stagnated being trapped there.
> 
> Also, some of you may notice that the first 6 or so chapters have been edited to be less sexual. I have done this to put them in line with the rest of the story, and to demonstrate that I’m serious when I say I no longer wish for this to be an erotica story.
> 
> This is a serious story now, and I don’t want to have anything be sexual unless it is two characters making consensual love.
> 
> As always, I hope you have a nice day, and I look forward to hearing any feedback you may have <3


	20. Arrival (and Return)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arriving at Kekorebitawochi Āk’irabīya, Serena is forced to deal with her arrival to a place other than her home village... At the same time, Akinyi must come to terms with returning to the place she had not seen since her capture...

The village of Kekorebitawochi Āk’irabīya was abuzz with excitement... Her majesty Queen Iris, ruler of the Zhireti, was due to arrive at the village any minute!

The villagers lined the streets, ceasing their work or plans, excited to catch a glimpse of the monarch... Iris had been to the village before, but she only travelled there every few years... It would be a long time until such an event would be happening again...

The crowd of people soon started to cheer as the carriage pulled into view... It was slightly late, but that did nothing to lower the enthusiasm of the villagers as it passed...

Queen Iris sat regally by the window, waving out at her subjects as she passed, Serena peeking out nervously from her side... There were so many people here, strangers, all with their attention on the carriage... She felt so anxious...

It travelled along the streets, the streets Akinyi would not dare to look out at... She knew these streets, she knew them well... But she knew them from a different time, a better time... She thought she could be strong, she thought she could handle this... 

But now, she was shaking, staring down at the floor of the carriage as her old life passed by the windows, the last remnants of her life as a free woman right outside...

It didn’t take long for the carriage to reach its destination, the vehicle coming to a gentle stop as Serena began to tremble, she couldn’t do this, there were too many people, she couldn’t face them!

“What’s wrong Serena?” Iris asked, her fiery temper from earlier somewhat diminished by now, although it had taken the rest of the journey for that to happen...

“I-I can’t go out there! I-I’m scared!” The white girl whimpered anxiously, her owner hugging her as soon as she realised what the problem was...

“Aww, Serena it’s alright, I know you must be nervous about greeting my people... But do not worry, you are safe with me, trust me, you need not be frightened...” The Queen replied comfortingly, kissing her slave on the forehead and holding her head against hers, giving the slave a moment to calm down before Iris moved away slightly to look down at her...

“You ready, my love?”

Serena nodded, shakily rising to her feet, all three of the occupants standing up, getting ready to make their appearance...

The Queen exited first, stepping down from the carriage onto a freshly laid down carpet, specially placed there for her visit, waving out at the people as they once more gathered round to greet her...

Her wife followed nervously behind, clutching Akinyi’s hand, who walked beside her, as the white girl too stepped off of the vehicle...

She received a few stares from some of the people there, and Serena was starting to regret leaving the safety of the palace... The villagers knew Iris had married a white, that was not too shocking... But they were not about to bow down to one...

The girl moved closer to her owner, practically clinging to Iris as they moved along the carpet’s length, the fabric leading into a large stone building, one that seemed quite similar to her palace...

It was neither as large nor as grand as Iris’s home, but there was a clear sense of power the building gave off... 

Akinyi did not dare to stare at it though... Whilst Serena was curious of this new palace, and Iris had been there many times, Akinyi didn’t want to even catch a glimpse of the place...

She stared straight down at the ground, her gaze unlifting... She wanted to pretend nothing had changed... And the dirt was the same it had always been...

Serena herself was having an altogether rather different experience... Her nerves were starting to settle a little, and it allowed the teen to observe around her some more...

The village was very similar to Bewenizu Āt’egebi, although it was much smaller in scale... Despite this, it was clearly a place where a lot of people lived and worked... Shops lined the streets along one section, the market here slightly more contained than in Iris’s village, incorporated into the area rather than being a separate section... It was also much closer to the palace than the one in Bewenizu Āt’egebi, the amount of stately homes here far less than back there...

Her attention was suddenly forced elsewhere as Iris took her hand, leading her up to a wealthy lady of about 45, covered in jewels, clearly of some repute...

“Serena, I would like you to meet my cousin, Yeshiemebet...” Said Iris, presenting forward the woman... She was very similar to Iris, around the same height, paler than most of the people here too... Her hair was also fairly large, although it was nothing compared to what Iris had... Still, Serena was starting to see a trend with that sort of hairstyle... It really was a sign of power here...

But then Serena realised Yeshiemebet was staring at her expectantly, the woman waiting for a response from the white girl...

“H-Hello...” The royal slave squeaked out nervously, making Iris’s cousin chuckle...

“My my, she sure is a cute thing cousin, I can see why you married her...” Said Yeshiemebet, who proceeded to ruffle Serena’s hair as if she were a child, making the white girl look at her strangely... Iris had acted as such with her, but it was unusual for a stranger to do so...

“And I’m glad to see you keep yours clean, palmskins can be such filthy creatures...” Iris’s cousin said quite casually, she and the Queen chuckling a little at her words, Serena trying hard not to let the joke get to her... 

The slave girl had picked up the occasional piece of racism during her time at the palace, but it was usually a quite obvious one directed at her... Some of the black slaves would give her a look of dislike or distrust, or the odd word or phrase, but they had been careful of how they spoke the further Serena progressed with her Zhireti lessons...

So to hear her wife and her cousin in law so casually disregarding her people as “filthy” made quite a few emotions start brimming inside her... Sadness, anxiety, but most importantly of all **anger**... Serena knew the kind of people those two were talking about, people who where not considered people here... Some of them were filthy... Azmera had been filthy... But she’d had no choice, it was so obvious to her, why could they not see it?

It took a lot of willpower for Serena to hold her tongue, fighting back the urge to interject... They were in public, this was an occasion of the highest importance... Serena could not and would not disrupt a **thing**...

“Indeed cousin, my beloved wife is my pride and joy, I ensure she keeps herself in the utmost condition...” Iris said proudly, clutching her wife to her side, Serena faking a smile as she pretended all was well...

“Come on, we must prepare for your speech... The people here seem most excited for it!” Yeshiemebet said happily to Iris, the two royals starting their ascent up the steps of the new palace, followed closely behind by Serena and Akinyi....

The black girl was still staring at the ground, watching her feet as they traversed the steps, pretending in her head that this was just the steps to the same palace she’d always been in... It calmed her slightly, but only slightly... The illusion would have to be broken eventually...

Serena was stood next to Iris, Akinyi standing beside the white girl with her lips once again next to her ear... The girl did not know Zhireti well enough to understand the speech in detail, she needed Akinyi to translate... 

The villagers gathered in front of the palace steps, a waiting crowd forming to hear what the Queen had to say... They were many, of all ages and professions, a young baker’s son standing next to an elderly carpenter, a middle aged locksmith beside a small toddler, the daughter of a weaver woman, who held her in her arms... Everybody and anybody was here, their work did not matter right now... Royalty was in town...

Soon, the crowd quietened down, Iris taking centre stage at the top of the steps...

“My fellow Zhireti!” The Queen shouted out for all to hear, “It brings me the greatest of pleasure to see you all today... It reminds me just how great this kingdom is, that I can travel so far from our capital, yet see so many of my subjects turn out for my appearance... You show, with your presence, the greatness and power of the Zhireti race!” 

The crowd erupted into applause at her words, inspired by her praise of their kingdom, they were the Zhireti, they were the greatest!

Iris allowed the applause, basking in it, bathing in the glory of her and her people’s power... It was a wonderful, inspiring feeling...

But then, she held up her hand, the crowd falling silent... She had more to say...

“My friends, my friends, I am greatly pleased by your enthusiasm... We must talk of serious matters however... The Korebita, our last great enemies, have defied us in our attempts to defeat them, and claim their land in the rightful name of the Zhireti...” Iris said with a hint of sadness and disappointment in her voice, the crowd starting to boo at the very mention of their name, yelling things out, like “Vile Scum!” and “Heathens!”

“However!” The Queen barked out, making the crowd go quiet once more... “We will not give up our fight.... It is what not only is best for our kingdom, it is what is best for _all of us!_ Tell me, will we back down?” 

“ **NO!** ” The crowd shouted out in unison!

“Will we leave them be?” Iris asked again...

“ **NO!!** ” The crowd replied back passionately, getting even louder....

“Shall they never be our slaves!?” The Queen blared out, even she was shouting now!

“ **NO!!!!!** ” The crowd practically screamed out together, hearts pumping, fists clenched, getting ready for a fight, even though it is not they who would fight it!

“You are correct! **NO!** We will not back down! **NO!** We will not leave them be! **NO!** They shall not remain free! We will conquer! We will succeed! We will defeat them! We will enslave them! And it will be **THEY** who shall know the true power and **MIGHT** of the Zhireti!!!!” Iris screamed in triumph, the crowd going wild, cheering and hollering, feeling more empowered in that moment than ever before! **YES!** They were the Zhireti, they were the most powerful people in the land, and they would **NEVER** back down!

The Queen finished her speech wordlessly, taking Serena’s hand as she led her inside, the whole group entering the palace as the crowd celebrated their tribe’s glory outside!

But this was not a feeling echoed in either Serena or Iris... The white girl felt terrified by their lust for war, for triumph... She felt somewhat relieved that it was she who was on the more powerful side, but still, she felt incredible guilt for that very reason...

Akinyi, meanwhile, felt something different entirely... She was unable to concentrate on anything else other than the intense feelings within her... That might she had just seen outside, that enthusiasm, was the same that had led to the fall of her village, the same reason she did not walk free, that none of her people walked free... Every one of those crowd were there in place of her own tribe... The strength of her emotions almost made her want to be sick...

Distracted by these things, both girls failed to notice as Serena was left in the middle of this unfamiliar throne room, the rest of the party, including Akinyi, moving away towards another room...

Raising her head, Serena did finally notice they were leaving, rushing to catch up with them!

But then, a strong hand grabbed her wrist, turning the white girl to face them!

“Ahh! There you are! Come on, I’ve been looking for you for ages now, chef is gonna be really angry if we don’t get you to work soon!” Said a young woman in her early 20’s, black with a fairly plain physique, a tired, uncaring look in her eyes...

“B-but, I’m-“

Serena got no chance to reply as the woman began to tug her away towards another room, the white girl too shocked to adequately fight back against her, and too used to compliance to really show any defiance...

*********************************************

“Found the soleskin!” The woman shouted out as she entered the kitchens of the unfamiliar palace, dragging Serena in behind her, the poor girl baffled by what was going on...

“Perfect, get her working on those vegetables, we need everything ready in time for the feast tonight...” Replied the palace’s head chef, a very different woman to the one Serena had known...

She was much darker than the head chef from Bewenizu Āt’egebi, but thinner too... In all fairness, the chef from Serena’s palace would often taste test the food... A little _too_ often... 

This one, however, was one of those who fed more on the steams and scents from her meals... Being around food so often had in fact made her less hungry, and she did not often taste her own food... She trusted her chefs enough to test it for themselves...

The white slave was taken to a counter, the usual vegetables there for chopping.... She turned to the woman who had brought her in, eyebrows furrowed in confusion...

“I-I’m sorry miss, but you don’t understand-“

“Shut up and get to work soleskin! You weren’t bought to chat!” The woman shouted, giving her a whack over the head with one of the vegetables, the head chef tutting...

“Please do not hit the girl, she’s only new!” The chef shouted, rushing over and moving the woman away from Serena...

“Come on sweetie, like this, ok?” The head chef said warmly as she showed Serena how to cut, not realising that the girl knew very well how to do so...

This chef seemed nice, much nicer than the chef from home... She didn’t use violence or harsh words to get what she wanted... She used love, she used care...

Serena nodded in response and began to chop, a small, confused smile on her face... She had no idea why they had brought her here, perhaps they had mistaken her for somebody else...

Either way, she didn’t mind working a little... But she hoped this would get fixed before her mistress left... She was not familiar with this place, and she didn’t have Akinyi by her side either... She was stuck in a strange situation, and it was one she didn’t know how to get out of...

*********************************************

Iris chatted with her cousins and the other nobles in one of the grand halls of the palace... There were such halls in the palace of Bewenizu Āt’egebi, but the Queen rarely utilised them anymore...

She looked over to smile down at her beautiful wife... But Serena wasn’t there...

She looked worriedly around in all directions, trying to find her with her eyes, not a single sign of the girl anywhere!

“Serena! Serena!” Iris shouted out, any conversation she had been having halting as she walked about the hall, trying to find her wife, becoming more worried as she failed to appear...

“What is wrong cousin?” Yeshiemebet asked, putting an hand on Iris’s shoulder, concerned, she hadn’t seen the Queen act in such a way before...

“M-my wife, Serena, I can’t find her!” The Queen exclaimed, a hint of panic in her voice, Yeshiemebet nodding quickly in response...

“We’ll get somebody to look for her... Your wife will be fine cousin, do not worry...” Her cousin said reassuringly, pulling her servant boy aside and ordering him to look for “The Queen’s palmskin”...

As Iris began to fill with dread at the things that could be happening to her wife, she suddenly laid her eyes on one woman. Akinyi.

She grabbed the girl’s wrist, breaking her from her trance and dragging her hurriedly over it another room, shutting and slamming the door once they were inside, a look of anger on the Queen’s royal face...

“Where’s Serena!?” She asked Akinyi, who stared back with shock... She’d been completely out of it when Iris had suddenly become angry for some reason, she did not know what was happening!

“I-I do not know your majesty! She should be with us...” Akinyi replied, Iris’s stare becoming a narrowed glare...

“No, she is not, she is missing... You have something to do with this, don’t you!?” Accused Iris, Akinyi shaking her head side to side in denial!

“Don’t lie to me girl! I know you’re bitter about me bringing you back here... Think we’re villains then Akinyi, huh!? Think we don’t deserve this land!?” Said the Queen angrily, Akinyi’s eyes widening in panic!

“N-no your majesty! I-I felt blessed when I became property of the Zhireti, I had never known something so g-great!” Akinyi lied fearfully, unsure how she would fix what was happening, Iris had never confronted her like this before...

“Oh shut up! I know your kind, your miserable, **dirty** tribe, I know how they think! They act like we’re evil for killing their men and making them our slaves, like they wouldn’t have done the same shit if given the chance! They disgust me, and now I know you’re no different!” Shouted Iris, showing the greatest of disrespect towards Akinyi... But the slave girl knew she could not do the same...

“No! Please, they are wrong your majesty! I hated being free! I had to do disgusting work, I-I was filthy too! I-it was only with the Zhireti’s guiding hand, that I learnt how to be so clean, so refined, so... L-loved...” The black girl said pleadingly, trying to get through to Iris’s raw emotions...

It was working, but just barely... The Queen stood there, fuming, yet silent... This was Akinyi, she had known the slave for years... Perhaps she was different, perhaps she did indeed harbour no hard feelings towards the Zhireti.... 

Iris wasn’t about to let her go just like that though.

She suddenly grabbed Akinyi’s curly hair, thrusting the girl forward, pulling her face within inches of her own as the slave stared back with absolute dread...

“You were meant to be looking after her, you were supposed to be watching her... and you have failed to do even that...” Said Iris coldly, Akinyi knowing that when Iris wasn’t enraged, that could be an even worse sign...

“I-I’m sorry your majesty! Please! It was the biggest mistake I have ever made! Forgive me, p-please...” Begged the black slave, clasping her hands in front of her to show how desperate she was for forgiveness, her face still held close to the Queen by her majesty’s firm grip on her hair...

“If anything happens to Serena before we can find her, I will have you hanged...” Was the only thing Iris said in response, throwing the girl down to the floor and storming out of the room ...

Akinyi lay there, fighting back her tears as the situation dawned on her... Serena might be anywhere right now... She could have been taken for all she knew, they might be doing horrible things to her... And it was all her fault, Iris was right, she had failed to do something as simple as keeping an eye on her friend...

But she stopped herself before anything could flow from her soft brown eyes... She had to stay strong, she had to keep up hope... And the situation was far better than it could have been... Iris had threatened to have her hanged, but at least that was only the outcome if things went seriously wrong... And she’d been lenient with her thus far, she had not taken a hand to the girl, despite her failings...

She could only hope that Serena would be ok... Anything could have happened to her... 

*********************************************

Lulit crept quietly through the hallways of the palace, her steps cautious, her gaze sweeping the rooms to ensure she was alone...

She was a palace slave here at Kekorebitawochi Āk’irabīya, white with blue eyes and brunette hair, the first white slave to work at the palace for years... And, unfortunately for her, she appeared **very** similar to Serena...

To anybody who knew either girl well, she was clearly a different woman... She was shorter than Serena by a few inches, her eyes were a darker blue, her nose smaller too, and she seemed at least a few years above her age...

To anybody who did not often see her kind however, or those who did not know either girl well, she could easily be mistaken...

Lulit knew none of this though... She had heard whispers in the high households of Iris’s new wife, but had never seen her, or heard any description of her other than the fact she was white... What occupied her mind most now was simply finding somewhere where she could rest for a moment, to lay down and just relax for a while...

She was a new slave here, although she’d had many owners before... And she **hated** cooking, it was her weakest skill... Cleaning was fine... Even washing clothes, she didn’t mind that at all... But kitchens were horrible, she hated the feeling of grease or oil on her skin, she hated the smells, the steam... Lulit knew this would probably get her in trouble... She didn’t care though, she was not gonna be cooking tonight...

Suddenly, a slave boy came rushing through the room, the white girl freezing to the spot! 

“There you are!!! Her Majesty has been worried sick about you!!! Come on!!” He exclaimed with no explanation for his words, grabbing her wrist and tugging her away!

Too dumbfounded for words, she followed, unsure why the Queen would be so concerned for a random slave girl...

Having no time to ask, she followed obediently, hoping that whatever she had to face, it would not lead to her end...

*********************************************

“Here you are your majesty! I found Serena and she’s safe and sound!” The boy said proudly as he pulled Lulit towards Iris, the slave girl’s blue eyes widening in shock!

“That’s not Serena! What do you take me for boy, a fool!?” Snapped the Queen, the blood draining from the black slave’s face as he began to realise his mistake...

“You, girl, did you have anything to do with this!?” Iris questioned the white slave, who shook her head wildly in response...

“Please your majesty, I had nothing to do with this! I was walking when this boy grabbed me, I-I don’t know why he says I’m Serena!” Exclaimed Lulit fearfully, the Queen turning her glare back to the boy...

“Boy, explain yourself!”

“I-I-I just took the first white I could find! I didn’t know there were others here!” Explained the male slave to Iris, his explanation barely acceptable...

“Well, you were wrong...” Yeshiemebet interjected, stepping towards him, before turning her gaze to Lulit...

“Which reminds me, girl, you were assigned to kitchen duties!” She suddenly blared at the white girl, making her back off slightly...

“I-I apologise miss, I had needed to leave, a-and I could not find my way back!” Lied Lulit, knowing she could not admit her true reasons for being in the halls...

“Humph! I am displeased by your actions...” Yeshiemebet replied with a clear distaste for the girl, Lulit shying away...

“But... I will forgive you... You better get yourself back to those kitchens though girl!” She snapped, Lulit springing to attention at the order!

“Yes miss!” She replied quickly, rushing off to find the room again...

“And you!” Yeshiemebet said sternly to the boy, “Follow her and make sure she reaches the kitchens, and then **find that palmskin!!!** ” She barked, the boy sprinting after her hurriedly, knowing he better do what she had ordered, and fast!

*********************************************

Serena looked up from her work as two more slaves rushed in, a black boy and a white girl, the girl looking fairly similar to herself...

Trying to be friendly, she gave them a wave, becoming confused as both slaves eyes widened at the sight of Iris’s wife...

They rushed over to grab her, but the head chef got between them, an angry look on her face...

“And just what do you think you’re doing!? I have a kitchen to run here, I do not have time for this!!!” She asked angrily, the boy clearing his throat...

“The girl behind you is here by mistake, she is Serena, wife of Queen Iris!” He grabbed Lulit by her shoulders, pushing her forward, the white woman giving him a glare at the way he handled her...

“This is your girl! Take her! Serena must return to the Queen!” The slave boy said, shaking Lulit a little as he spoke, rushing to hand her back, like a library book that was about to be late...

Nodding, the chef swapped both girls over, Serena looking about in confusion at the commotion going on around her...

Then, the black slave grabbed her, Serena yelping as she felt his pull on her wrist, remembering how that other boy had been with Azmera, recalling what had happened to her friend, it might be about to happen to her!

Without thinking, she yelped and slapped him, breaking from his grip and clinging to Lulit instead, the other slave girl staring at her with the utmost confusion...

“You alright?” She asked, Serena shaking her head as she began to cry, Lulit unsure what to do... She’d never been one to comfort others, or indeed seek comfort herself...

“Hey... Uhhh... Don’t cry...” Lulit said as she attempted to calm the girl, looking over at the male slave, who was currently rubbing his cheek painfully...

“Can I take her chef? She really doesn’t seem to trust men...” She asked the head chef, who nodded without word, letting the two white slaves past, both of them walking together towards the kitchen door, Serena clinging close to Lulit’s side as they left the room...

*********************************************

Iris ran over to Serena the moment she entered the grand hall, her arms wrapping around the frightened teen... The white slave was shaking, something having really made her afraid... 

As this happened, Lulit stood aside, Yeshiemebet noticing her presence once more...

“I thought I told you to get back in those kitchens!?” Said Iris’s cousin sternly to her slave, the girl becoming apologetic on cue...

“I do apologise miss, I found Queen Iris’s wife Serena in the kitchens, and she became quite scared of your boy... She refused to leave without me, I had no choice mistress, I am so sorry....” Replied Lulit, bowing her head before her mistress...

“Very well... You may go back there now, thank you for ensuring her safe return...” Yeshiemebet replied somewhat dismissively, waving her hand to shy the girl away and out of the room, she was of no importance now...

“Serena, are you ok!? Did they hurt you!? Did anybody hurt you!?” Iris asked hurriedly and worriedly, Serena shaking her head to every question...

“N-no, I’m ok, I’m ok Iris... I j-just got a little spooked, that’s all...” Replied her wife, the Queen kissing her all over, trying to help her feel secure, to feel loved... And she did, she felt so loved, so secure in Iris’s arms...

“What happened? Did somebody try to take you!?” The Queen asked again, still worried, still concerned despite the fact her slave was now safe and sound...

“I-it was all a big misunderstanding, I-I think... They mistook me for that other girl, they took me to the kitchens... B-but please don’t worry, I liked working there, the chef here is really sweet...” Serena replied, a small smile on her face, Iris herself calming down and hugging her closer...

The white girl soon found herself growing concerned however as the boy returned, taking his place beside Yeshiemebet, Iris’s cousin pushing him forward a little, towards the couple...

“Now that things are in order, I’d like you to meet Tadesse, my servant boy... I bought him a few years ago, and he has proven himself so loyal that I have made him my personal servant... He is to me the closest thing that Serena must be to you, oh cousin...” Yeshiemebet said elegantly, Tadesse standing tall and proud at those words...

Serena studied him, able to do so now that she was in the arms of her mistress... He was a fairly average man, mid to late 20’s, taller than Serena but shorter than both Iris and her cousin... He also seemed to have a very false air of power about him, acting as if he held some form of authority over the other slaves... Perhaps he did, but he certainly had difficulty holding that visage...

Both Iris and Serena exchanged pleasantries with him, the boy saying his thanks, but little more... He did not seem particularly talkative, and not in a shy way... Simply put, if he didn’t have anything that needed to be said, he likely would not say it...

The white slave suddenly became aware of the absence of her friend... She waited for the two royal cousins to finish speaking to each other, before gently tapping on Iris’s side...

“Mistress, I cannot find Akinyi, is she nearby?” Serena asked with concern, reminding the Queen of all that had happened earlier...

“Oh, of course, Akinyi... I believe she is in that room there, I shall take you to see her...” Iris replied, leading her slave over to the room, not trusting her to go of her own accord after what had transpired...

Once they were there, she opened the door, letting Serena slip through before the door gently shut... Iris knew that Serena was always more comfortable than Akinyi... She would let her talk with the girl, and then retrieve both slaves once the feast was ready...

The white slave looked about as she entered the room... It was fairly large, clearly of some importance, an empty bed in the middle, although it had more the appearance of a guest room than of the bedroom of a royal...

She soon spotted her friend, sat down firmly on the floor, her knees pulled to her face...

“H-hey...” Serena said to Akinyi, the girl staying still for a moment, before moving her legs away, allowing the pale teen to see exactly what had become of her...

The black slave’s face was puffy and wet, dampened by tears, wracked with misery... She had very clearly been crying, and whatever it was, it had been upsetting her greatly...

Serena took a seat beside Akinyi, rubbing her back with her hand, unused to such a sight... To see her upset was not necessarily unheard of... But this upset, this emotional, was something Serena had never even thought possible... 

Akinyi was not like this... She was strong, she was brave, she never faltered... Yet before her sat an emotional wreck, a broken girl, a slave who was showing her true feelings...

“Hey... Akinyi, it’s ok... Remember when I told you to count to 10?” Serena asked softly, the black girl giving her a small nod, clearly trying to avoid from bursting into tears once more...

“G-Good... So... Just count to 10, it’ll help...” The white slave told her friend, staying beside her for support... But Akinyi shook her head...

“It... won’t help... S-sister... This is beyond what that can d-do...” She replied, her voice croaky, just like Serena’s had been whenever she’d cried... It felt strange to hear her call her sister again, she hadn’t done that quite so often once she had gotten to know the white girl... But Serena didn’t mind being addressed as such... It was endearing, in the sort of way that made her feel closer to her friend...

“You wanna talk about it?” The paler slave said to Akinyi, the black girl saying nothing for a while, then speaking up...

“I don’t want to be h-here...”

That was all she said, and Serena didn’t try to pry her further... She knew Akinyi didn’t want to be here, she knew it must be hard... And she also knew it must have helped for her to admit it to somebody, no matter how little she truly said...

They both stayed there, Akinyi slowly calming down, until she just sat there, hollow and empty, but at the very least with her emotions contained...

There was a knock on the door, not a particularly hefty knock, but one that grabbed their attention in the otherwise silent room...

“Akinyi, Serena, the feast is ready!” Iris shouted out to them both, the pale girl speaking up in reply, knowing Akinyi would be too worn out to take charge...

“We’ll be out right away!” She shouted to her mistress, helping Akinyi to her feet, hugging her as they made their way towards the door...

“It’ll be ok Akinyi... Just try to relax, alright?” Serena said to her friend, who simply nodded in reply, knowing she had to keep herself calm to get through this trip...

*********************************************

The feast was greater than Serena could have ever imagined... It was more than just one meal, several were placed upon the table... There were stews and salads and other concoctions of varying ingredients... There were loaves, full of things the white slave could not name, fruits and cheeses being all she could really identify...

Nearby, there was a great bowl of something that looked like mashed potato, although it was unknown to her exactly what vegetable had been used to make it...

And in the middle of the table, a great beast say upon a plate, fully roasted and prepared... Serena could not tell what Pokemon it was, but it made her mouth water at the sight, regardless of this fact...

The system was clever yet simple... Every guest eating has arrived with their servant (or in the case of some, servants), and it would be up to them to grab whatever food their owner’s so desired, and present it as soon as possible...

Akinyi had such a task... As she gazed upon the banquet before her, she knew she could not have a single bite... It would be up to her to ensure Iris and Serena got what they wanted...

The Queen chatted with her wife, pointing at certain foods and asking if she wanted them, Serena nodding at almost every one... It all looked delicious, she wanted to sample as much as she could...

But she quickly regretted such wants as she watched Akinyi moving away from them, going to retrieve the many items they had requested...

She tried to get up also, Serena not wishing to burden Akinyi any further than possible, but the Queen pushed the pale teen back into the seat with her hand...

“Serena, what are you doing?” Iris asked sternly, she didn’t want any more incidents with her wife...

“I-I gotta get my own stuff, it isn’t fair that Akinyi’s doing it!” Her slave replied, the Queen shaking her head...

“Serena, she is my slave, she serves me, and she serves you... Just sit down and relax, it is her place, it is what she is meant to do...” Iris corrected the light teen, Serena deciding it would be best to stay silent on the matter for now...

Akinyi went back and forth, getting the food for both women, before standing beside the Queen’s throne, Serena watching her as she stared hungrily at the same food the white girl was now chowing down on...

She tried to offer the black slave some bread she had, but Iris slapped Serena’s hand down the moment she raised it!

“Do not offer her anything! She will eat when we have eaten, it is beyond her class! I will make you wait too if you continue such behaviour...” Warned the Queen, Serena reluctantly putting the bread back on her plate, looking over at Akinyi and mouthing “sorry”...

But the dark girl did not mind... She had gotten used to this over the years... At least she didn’t have to do this all the time, only at special occasions such as this...

Serena soon forgot Akinyi’s troubles, eating up hungrily, the food the definition of divine, flavours melting into her tongue that the white slave had never experienced before...

Looking around, she noticed something she hadn’t before... There were other whites here, not general palace slaves, but personal servants... They were not the norm by any standard, only a handful alongside the nobles, most guests having a regular servant instead... It was certainly peculiar though, Serena had thought she would have noticed such a thing earlier...

Given all that had happened, the emotions, the getting lost, the awkward return, it was clear she had failed to see them before... But she did now...

Most of them were like her, similar hair and skin, some slightly more tanned, some with darker hair, some lighter... Were she not so hungry, she might have enquired of her mistress who they were... She was starving though, and food mattered more than knowledge at a moment like this...

The white girl turned her gaze away from the others, returning to the bread, taking big, tasty bites as her mind drifted away into a land of flavour...

*********************************************

The rest of the evening had been rather uneventful... Following the banquet, the nobles moved yet again into another room, fitted out with comfortable places to sit, as well as stand...

Given that it was their first time meeting in quite a while, they naturally wished to converse... Therefore, the first night of an event like this had no further activities other than conversation... 

And talk they did... Serena was forced to stand beside Iris as she conversed with several different people, introducing the pale girl to each one, who in turn would usually greet her with a small welcome before turning their attention back to the Queen... Serena was a mere accessory to Iris in this place, she was something interesting to look at, like a white porcelain doll on a shelf...

The slave was starting to understand how things worked now... The other white slaves were here for that reason also... It was not that they were in any way greater than the black slaves, in fact, the latter seemed to be far better at their job most of the time... But white people were not commonly found here, and owning one, in good condition, a slave that is well cared for... It was a sign of power, it was a sign that they had the money not only to purchase such property, but to maintain it... 

That was not an easy thing to do here, Serena had seen as much with Azmera... They hadn’t purchased her because they needed any old slave... They saw her as naturally inferior, they saw her as somebody they could walk over... Perhaps even, she might have been a sign of power to her owners in that small way too, even if they clearly did not care for her wellbeing...

She tried to push away such thoughts for now though, focusing on what was happening... 

Serena met several others during the evening, occasionally meeting the owners of the other white servants... They would stare at her silently, give her a small nod, and do nothing more... It was clear it was their place to be seen and not heard... 

Akinyi eventually returned after having her fill of whatever food was left over from the feast, standing beside her owner as the evening progressed... But she did not talk to Serena, it would have been rude unless she were translating... 

From then until nightfall, both of Iris’s slaves stood next to the Queen, anxiously awaiting the arrival of night... Sleep would do them good after such a long day...

*********************************************

Iris collapsed onto the guest bed as the day wound to a close, Serena following suit beside her... They had been exhausted physically and mentally by the conversations of the day... They both needed a long rest...

As Iris began to drift off however, she felt a small poke on her shoulder, opening her eyes to see her wife staring back at her, somewhat sad...

“S-Serena... Mistress really needs her sleep... Goodnight...” The Queen said rather drowsily, shutting her eyes again... But it was combated by yet more poking...

“I just need to ask you... Why... I need to know why so many others of my kind were here... Are they like me? Are they from the outside?” Serena inquired, Iris sighing tiredly...

“No, my girl... Perhaps a few are... But most come from the high households... Goodnight...” Her owner replied with her eyes still shut, ready to drift off into sleep...

“D-do you know if-“

Serena’s question was halted as Iris let out an annoyed groan, she did not want to talk right now... She was tired, it was late, she needed to rest...

“Apologies mistress... Goodnight...” The white slave said, laying down beside her wife, shutting her own eyes... 

As the girl began to move towards sleep, her mind thought on the day’s events... She recalled the white girl she had almost certainly been mistaken for, the chef who had been so kind to her, the older cousin of Iris’s who had looked so beautiful in her jewels...

Before she could drift off though, she remembered Azmera, the condition she’d been in, the boy she’d been with, the sadness in her eyes... She knew she could not help her friend herself... 

But she hoped that, somehow, the field slave could find a way to help herself...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Major apologies for the delay with this one! I decided to write out the rest of the day as one large chapter, but it took a while.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this one. And I do want to reassure those waiting that yes, we will return to Azmera soon, I have not forgotten about her. 
> 
> As always, I hope all reading this have a good day, and I look forward to hearing any and all feedback or comments you may have <3


	21. The Great Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tonight’s the night...

The room was a near pitch black, all aside from the moonlight that teased itself between the cracks and imperfections in the walls of the slave quarters...

Almost all slaves were asleep, having spent the day working tirelessly, worn out and glad to rest... But there was one slave who wouldn’t sleep, who couldn’t sleep...

Azmera lay wide awake on her skins, her eyes fully open, staring forward into nothingness... Beside her, cradling her slightly, lay Mirach, lost in a deep sleep, the only time the white slave was free from his abusive ways...

She stared forward at nothing in particular, thinking, pondering, wondering... Tonight might be the night... But was she ready to do it?

There was no doubt in Azmera’s eyes that she wished to do so, to get away from this life... Wether she could though was still unclear to her...

She could hear the storm raging outside, what had started as rain with a breeze now fairly strong... It was not enough to put them in any danger, the quarters were built with strong wood, they would hold... But leaving tonight could be risky in such conditions....

That left the alternative though... Spend yet another day with Mirach, another day of being worked, another day of being raped... Azmera knew another day might break her...

The pale girl lifted her gaze to look back at the sleeping Mirach as she thought it over... As much as he abused her, as much as he hurt her, a tiny part of her felt sorry for him... Not sorry for the fact that he abused her at every given opportunity, that to him, she was too beautiful to resist... In that respect, Azmera hated him, she hated his guts more than any man she had ever known, more than Admassu, more than Ayele... 

But she felt sorry that he had become what he had... Perhaps he might have been a better person in the world Serena had spoken of, in the world where nobody were slaves anymore... Maybe he might have been a nice guy, maybe he would have been a decent human being... Azmera wanted to believe things might have been different... 

She held no sympathy for him as he was now though... He was a vile man, an abusive, controlling, manipulating scumbag... Azmera realised, then and there, she had to get out of here...

Things still held her back though... What if she ended up being caught by her masters? Or worse, being caught by others who would treat her worse, whatever that may be like... Right now, nothing seemed worse than what she’d had to endure...

And if she ran, and they could not find her, might they buy another girl? Would her leaving cause yet another one of her kind to fall into his hands? Would she selfishly be sparing herself further suffering, in exchange for somebody else having to go through what she went through?

Azmera knew there was no way to find any answers to these questions, not without asking Mirach what he would do in such a scenario.. And she knew that would quite obviously clue him in to her plan... 

She had to handle this alone, nobody else was gonna help her right now... 

The slave girl debated internally wether to risk the weather tonight, to try and sneak away from Mirach... Once she left these slave quarters, there was no turning back, there was no way to undo her decision...

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she shut her eyes, letting herself think more clearly... What she was about to do would go against everything she had ever been told, by both her mother and her master... It would defy the very essence of what a slave was meant to be, meant to do... Azmera had never really thought of running before...

When she had been growing up, it never occurred to her that she wasn’t truly a person in the eyes of the kingdom... The white slave had known no life outside of the fields, she felt quite normalised in that lifestyle... Her mother had been able to shield her from the worst things the other slave’s experienced, always there to cover her ears or shield her eyes... Well, most of the time...

As she grew older however, Azmera growing from a child into a teenager, she had gained a sense of longing to travel further... Life in the fields was beyond boring, she wanted to walk free and see the kingdom, maybe even create a life for herself, her very own life...

The older she got though, turning from a teenager into a young woman, the more the reality of her situation bore upon her mind... Azmera had long known that she was owned, and that whites could not be free in her kingdom... But that didn’t stop her from dreaming, fantasising about a future where she was so much more than just a slave...

She did not want freedom for those reasons anymore though... Gaining a life of her own was the last thing on her mind... Right now, what mattered was getting away from her owners, from Mirach... What happened once that was achieved was still unplanned by the pale girl...

Finding she didn’t have the courage to do it, an image appeared in her minds eye... It was her mother, there for her within her head... Despite her advice, Azmera knew that deep down, her mother would want her to escape... Nothing justified remaining in this hellhole... Not even her own safety...

Opening her eyes, the image fading, Azmera had made her decision... It was now or never...

Slowly, carefully, she moved herself away from Mirach, being cautious not to wake the sleeping slave boy... If he saw what was happening, it was all over, she’d have failed...

Gently, she lifted his arm off of her side, freezing as the man stirred, holding her breath... Then, thankfully, he drifted back off into slumber, Azmera breathing a quiet sigh of relief, letting his arm lower slowly down to the ground...

Cautiously, she stood herself up, trying to ignore how her body ached, how her heart pumped in anticipation... She had to try and stay calm... She would sneak over to the door, walk outside, and flee before anybody could notice...

The white girl tiptoed over to the door of the slave quarters, the raging storm outside getting louder and louder the closer she got, making her feel more anxious about what she was doing... But she had to be strong, she was almost there now, no turning back... Just three more steps... Two more steps... One more s-

**Clank!**

Azmera froze as she bumped something, the object falling gracefully forward before hitting the hard floor, the clanking of wood sounding out into the room! It was the broom she‘d used to sweep, she’d left it by the door last night!

And now it had made a loud noise, Mirach groaning, awaken by the sudden sound...

He sat up, rubbing his eyes, going to look down at his beautiful girl-

She was gone. Azmera was gone.

Mirach’s gaze shot up, staring at the wide open doorway of the quarters, that door swinging madly in the wind, the loud thunder and rain slowly waking the other slaves as the boy began to grow angered, he knew what that bitch had done... And he wasn’t gonna let her go that easy!

Azmera ran frantically through the fields, her feet trudging in mud as the rain pelted down upon her body, using all of her energy to sprint away from the building... She had made a big mistake, she could not waste any time if she didn’t want to be caught!

Against her better judgement, and despite how the wind lashed at her face, she turned her head to look behind her, letting out an audible yelp as she saw Mirach’s form burst through the doorway, his menacing glare aimed right for her as he began to follow, running after the slave girl, ready to end this escape attempt!

The white teen doubled and then tripled her efforts as Mirach sprinted after her, shouting out to the owner’s house, “ **The bitch is tryna escape!!!** ”

Somehow, they heard, a lantern light illuminating the inside of her masters home, Azmera watching behind her with horror as they kicked open the door, the light they held travelling with them as they too went to stop their property from fleeing...

Azmera ran like she’d never ran before, the wind hitting her body, the harsh downpour clouding her vision, as did her long hair when it wrapped around her face... But she was determined by her fears to keep going, even as she ached, even as she tired, she was not gonna remain their slave!

Her owners and Mirach shouted loudly towards her, shouting warnings, knowing in all likelihood they would be easily able to secure her again... Slaves who escaped rarely made it far before their poor condition halted their attempt... They would surely win here, this would not be a victory for the runaway...

By some miracle of the gods, Azmera made it to the treeline, to the same spot where she’d met Serena the morning earlier... She burst into the undergrowth, pushing past bushes and gnarled branches, her muddy feet slamming loudly onto the dirt as she fled through the forest... 

But her owners were in hot pursuit, and gaining on her fast... The slave girl kept up her running, but she was growing so weak, so tired... 

Momentarily, she faltered, slowing down, just far enough from her pursuers that they could not see her, just far enough that she could take this small rest...

And then, suddenly, **FLASH!!!** A piercing light illuminated the forest around her as a bolt of lighting slammed into a massive tree, splitting the wood internally, making Azmera gasp in shock as her heart raced, stumbling to the ground as she lost her footing!

The wood cracked loudly, the tree creaking, starting to lean forward, before it came crashing down, the white teen screaming in terror, missing it by mere feet as she rolled over to avoid it!

Dazed, but thankfully uninjured, she struggled hastily to her feet, getting up just as her owner’s came into view, their lanterns held in front of them as they shouted at her!

“ **Girl!!! Get yourself back here RIGHT NOW!!!** ” One of them yelled in anger, the slave managing to flee before he could finish, giving her mere seconds to put distance between them before they resumed the chase!

The girl sprinted through thick vegetation, branches scratching her body, leaves getting caught in her hair, the frightening shouting of her owners making Azmera run ever more faster...

But she couldn’t run anymore...

Finding that her legs were turning to jelly, she reluctantly faltered, slipping onto the wet ground once more, scampering along the dirt in pure terror as she tried to find somewhere to hide...

The lighting had fallen yet another tree, and to her luck, there was a small opening between the ground and the trunk, a crevice bent into the wood, big enough for her to squeeze up against and be partly hidden...

Azmera shoved herself into the hiding spot, clutching her knees and shoving them to her face, sobbing in horror as the sound of her superiors grew ever nearer, helplessly whimpering as they began to search for the girl...

“Come on out girl! If you come here now, we will not punish you...” Lied one of her masters, he would do the exact opposite of leniency once he got his hands on her... This girl had driven them out into the woods at night, made them filthy, interrupted their sleep... He would drive the whip into her back until he could lash at her bones, that girl had to pay!

“We won’t hurt you palmskin, we want to look after you... Come out, we will take care of you... Want some hot soup girl? Want to sit by the fire a while?” The other owner asked out loud, hoping she could hear... If they could tempt her with false comfort, then she might come right back into their hands... Just like the other master, it was of course a massive lie... Right now, he wanted to shove that bitch into a fire, rather than beside one...

For a moment, Azmera was almost tempted by their words... Hot soup... A warm fire... She felt so bitterly cold right now, so tired, so hungry... The white slave wanted nothing more than to experience those things...

But she was smarter than they thought... She knew they would never give her those things... She’d be mincemeat if she decided to go back with them...

So Azmera stayed hidden, shivering with fear and cold, huddling within her small hiding space as her owners and Mirach searched the area...

They came near, very near, Azmera able to see them at times... But in the pale moon light, in the disorientating weather, they failed to notice their slave’s presence...

Just as they were giving up the search, about to leave, Mirach spoke up...

“Hey guys, have we checked round this tree?” The slave boy asked, Azmera’s teary eyes widening, knowing she might be within moments of being caught again...

“Mirach, come on! We’re cold, and we’re tired! The palmskin must’ve ran off somewhere else, we searched everywhere for her, stupid thing might be dead for all we know... We gotta go home, we’ll put up a sign for her in the morning...” Mirach’s masters replied, relieving Azmera a little... But he wasn’t about to let his prize go...

“I just wanna check over fellas... Five minutes!” He shouted back so they could hear him over the howling wind, his owners becoming tired of his determination...

“We’re going back boy! That’s an order!” His master barked, Mirach growling somewhat angrily, but eventually relenting, joining the two as they walked back towards their farm, dirty, wet, and exhausted...

The slave girl had made her escape... But her ordeal was far from over... She sat there still, freezing cold, water dripping onto her as she huddled in fear and for warmth, waiting for either the storm to pass or the cold to end her...

*********************************************

Serena yawned as she awoke beside her wife, turning her head to smile tiredly at the tanned Queen, glad to see her on what was a beautiful morning...

She had awoken during the night, a large storm stirring her, but she’d quickly fallen back to sleep... They were safe in this palace, the storm would not have harmed them... And it had passed now, the air outside calmed...

She lay there in gentle rest as Iris slowly awoke herself, yet another beautiful morning for the both of them... Almost every morning had begun this way since they’d been married, and it felt great... To wake up on the finest bedding, to the finest wife, was what each woman loved...

Saying no words, and needing none, Serena gently ran her hand through Iris’s hair... It felt good to do this, for slave and owner alike... Serena loved the feeling of her hand being enveloped by a cushiony softness, and Iris loved the feeling of her hair being stroked... 

Despite her dominant nature, deep down, being pampered pleased the Queen more than anything... To feel loved, to feel cared for, gave her such a deep happiness...

She returned the favour, running her own hand through Serena’s curls, a dark hand running through light hair, a light hand running through dark hair... Ebony meeting Ivory, love meeting love...

This continued for a while, until Serena felt some curious nibbling on her fingers, falling into a giggling fit as a familiar face popped out from Iris’s hair...

“Axew axew!” The face said in greeting, crawling from the bushy mess that was Iris’s hair to nuzzle Serena, the slave girl cuddling him to her bosom...

Axew lay comfortably within Serena’s arms, a calm, gentle creature, getting snug against her chest...

“Who’s the cutest wutest little guy? You are! Yes you are!” Serena cooed lovingly to the small creature, who responded with an odd noise, rubbing a tusk against her hand...

Iris smiled down at her two prizes... One was her beautiful wife, the other, her beloved pet... But Iris didn’t see them that way... In her eyes, they were both equal, they were both her property...

Serena and Axew did not feel the same way however... To Serena, she was a woman, just like Iris... She might be a slave, but, she was almost equal to her owner... 

Axew had, in all honesty, no concept of slavery or of pets... All he knew was that Iris was nice, and she cared for him, and she smelt nice... And Serena was another nice lady who also smelt nice!

“You’re such a cuddly little guy, aren’t you?” The white girl said to the small Pokemon, scratching that area behind his tusk, the one that made him hum happily...

“I’m so glad you brought him along, I love our little Axew...” Serena said warmly to Iris, who smiled back, although the use of the word “our” concerned her slightly...

Slaves did not own pets, slaves did not own anything... Serena was a slave, so she did not own Axew, Iris did... Even if a slave somehow manages to hold onto an item, it does not mean they own it... Their owners do, they own them, and by extension, anything in their possession...

Iris was not about to ruin this perfect moment though... She nodded in response to Serena’s words, stroking her pet on his back, the lucky little guy getting pampered by the both of them...

“We’re gonna go out for a little while later, Serena...” Iris suddenly spoke up, her voice still quite tired... 

“I have not gotten to experience this village myself in years, and this time, you get to come with me... I wanted to tell you yesterday, but we were so busy, I do apologise...” The Queen told her wife, Serena becoming visibly nervous at the prospect of venturing out beyond the grounds of the palace, her stroking stopping for a moment...

Iris noticed immediately, pulling the girl a little closer to her, letting her feel secure, snuggling Axew between the two of them...

“My dear, you need not be anxious of leaving here, we have guards who will be beside us at all times... This is a rare opportunity to visit the village, you will get to see how things are done here...” The Queen explained, making Serena feel a little more calm... But she was still quite worried about it... Nonetheless, she nodded, to at the very least let her owner know she understood...

A nudging tusk against her hand soon made her forget her troubles though, and she returned to pampering Axew, the little Pokemon humming as she and Iris showered their love upon him...

*********************************************

As dawn peaked over the horizon, Azmera weakly lifted her head, her tired eyes staring in relief as the day teased itself... She had made it through the night... She had made it through the storm... She had survived...

Had she fallen asleep, she could have easily succumbed to the cold... Several times, she nearly did... The girl was so cold, so tired, sleep would have been a godsend... But Azmera knew she had to stay strong, she had to resist that urge... Her life depended on it...

Helpless to speed up the sun, she watched as it slowly rose into the sky, the great god Yesemayi Isati blessing her with his light... 

The slave waited until the heat and light had thawed her freezing body, warming her up from her frigid condition... Slowly, she eased herself out from her hiding spot, limbs aching... She stretched them, stiff from being still and unmoving for so long, rubbing her sore joints to try and relieve them...

Once she had done all the stretching that could be done, she sat herself on top of the fallen tree, part of the wood scorched black by the lighting bolt that had slammed into it... 

Azmera sat there in silent thought, trying to think over her options... The girl was, for all intents and purposes, a fugitive now... She had broken a rule that no slave should ever break, she had ran from her masters, she had fled from their land... Azmera was a runaway slave...

The girl had made the mistake of not planning her escape to any degree... She had simply planned _to_ escape... Part of her hadn’t entirely expected to succeed...

And the slave was now faced with a harsh reality... Azmera had never rebelled like this before... In fact, she had never rebelled _at all_... As a slave, she had, just like her mother, kept herself obedient... She had not tried to defy her owners, or to refuse their orders... Even when she had to get her tattoo, despite the fear, she did not try to run...

So now, she was all alone... Azmera could not turn to anybody for help, or for advice... It had been the same for her back with Mirach, but at least there, she had food, she had shelter, even if that came at the price of her wellbeing...

Azmera was stuck out here now, with **no** food, **no** shelter, and most importantly of all, absolutely **no** experience... On top of all of this, she was now on the run, not only from her masters, but **everybody**... 

Any Zhireti who saw her, no matter what age, no matter their position, would try to apprehend her... Azmera could trust no one, and now had to fear everyone...

The slave girl began to well up as she sat there, realising just what a position she’d put herself in... She’d been stupid, so stupid! She’d put her wants and needs above her safety, and now, she was in even more danger than before... For a moment, she even considered turning back, walking back to her owners in defeat, hoping they would be lenient with her...

But she knew that wasn’t an option... She’d made her decision... Turning back, trying to undo what she’d done, was not an option...

Her mother had, in the past, kept her away from those being punished, moving her back to the quarters as soon as it became clear that another slave was to face such things... She could only have done so much though... Azmera still heard the screams, saw the aftermath... And on a few unlucky occasions, she’d been forced to watch... Those memories haunted her beyond what words could express... She’d managed to push them down, forget most of them, her mother had done a good job of shielding her... But her mind was starting to unravel, and it made Azmera want to be sick...

The sudden snapping of a twig grabbed the slave girl’s attention, making her swing around to see what it was, her heart pumping!

To her relief, it was just a donphan, a lone male... They were very suited to life in the forests, eating the lower plants, their short height making it easy for them to stay beneath some of the thicker branches... The thick skin on their front also aided in allowing them to push through the undergrowth, the ideal low browser... 

He was quite far out of range though... donphan usually lived further north, at the tip of the Korebita’s territory... This was quite far south for them, they’d rarely been a problem down here... Azmera had but a handful of memories where she and the other slaves had been forced to chase away those who had emerged from the forest, stopping them as they tried to feed on their owner’s crops...

She stared just below its ears, checking to see if it was in musth... Admassu had, when she was younger, decided to educate her on what signs to look for that showed a male donphan’s condition... 

Musth was a state where a male donphan entered what was essentially heat, although it was far worse than might be expected... Rather than simply seeking out females, they instead become **incredibly** aggressive, attacking anything and everything that moved, and even things that didn’t... A donphan in musth was perhaps the most dangerous animal to be around, deadlier than any predator...

But this donphan, despite being male, was not in such a state... Azmera could tell by the lack of fluid beneath its ears, that sticky substance that would signal the danger to anybody close enough to see... 

This male was not in season, and in fact his attention was focused solely on a rather tasty bush... Using his trunk, he grabbed the branches, stripping the leaves from them and moving the results down to its wide open maw, feeding...

This lowered the slave’s apprehension of the beast, although she was still cautious... Even in its docile state, it was a wild animal, it had power in its muscles... Those two giant tusks were of particular worry to her... Impressive as they may have been to look at, Azmera did not wish to be at the receiving end of one of those weapons... 

The girl would have to move slowly, carefully... Spooking the creature might entice it to attack...

As she went to move off of the fallen tree however, she slipped, swinging around a little on one of the branches as she stopped herself from falling, the quick movement spooking the Pokemon!

It charged towards the trunk, Azmera only just managing to fall off the other side as it slammed into the wood, the loud **BANG!** of tough hide on bark making birds scatter from the living trees above!

Azmera lay there, heaving as her heart pumped at great speed, the fallen tree thankfully putting a barrier between her and the donphan...

The beast let out a deep, low bellow as it shook its head, its ears flopping as it shook off the dizziness, looking around to see where the threat had gone...

Due to how low it stood, it could not see the girl anymore, the tree trunk blocking its view beyond that point... Seeing that whatever had threatened it was now gone, it turned around and strolled back over to the bush, returning to its meal as, unbeknownst to it, the teen peered over the tree trunk, watching it...

The slave had come close to life changing injury, she had been **incredibly** lucky to avoid the attack... Donphan were slow creatures most of the time, but they could move quite quickly when spooked...

Getting up slowly, she started to walk away, looking back worriedly as she moved away from the area, walking along the leaf strewn ground... Azmera didn’t know where she was headed, but she had to get away from here... 

She could not head into **any** of the settlements or villages though... Being spotted could easily lead to her capture, she could not risk such a thing... 

No, she would keep to the forest, but try to avoid any further dangers... This was not a place for the inexperienced... And even though Azmera was just that, she knew one thing... This was her life now, and she had to try and make that remain so...

*********************************************

Lulit staggered tiredly into the kitchen, eyes heavy, the slave having only just woken up... But that mattered not in the palace... All that mattered was work...

As much as she hated kitchen work, and wished only to go back to bed, the slave girl knew she didn’t have a choice... She was not simply a free maid or servant here, somebody who stayed for the pay... The palace owned her, Yeshiemebet owned her... If you owned a beast of burden, you would not let it rest unnecessarily... You would work it as much as possible, you would get your money’s worth...

That was what Lulit was... Beast or not, it did not matter... She had a burden to bear, she had to do work that was beyond her superiors... Only the head chef here was a free woman, as was standard in high society... As kind as she was, the chef was Lulit’s mistress in this room... And whilst she coordinated the kitchen, it was the slaves who had to do the work...

The slave silently approached the head chef, the woman leading her over to a large tub, filled with clean soapy water, dirty cookware needing to be washed as the others worked to cook the food... 

Great... If there was one thing Lulit hated more than the cooking, it was the cleaning...

She took the scourer that was handed to her, scrubbing a large pan, shrivelling her face in disgust as the feeling of oily greasiness spread across her hand, the remnants of some meat dish...

She scrubbed it reluctantly, hating how the residue felt against her fingers, feeling like her hands had been washed with butter... It made Lulit want to run off to the washing area, to rinse her hands over and over until not a single molecule of oil remained...

That would not be possible though... As much as she hated this, she had work to do... And Lulit knew there would be repercussions if she slacked or stopped...

*********************************************

The dinner hall of the palace was filled with the sounds of people chatting and eating... Great food, comparable in quality to that of the feast yesterday, was being enjoyed by all present at the table, including Serena...

The teen ate hungrily, biting whole mouthfuls at once as she consumed her breakfast, similar food to back at her palace, but with an even greater selection due to the occasion...

Engaged with the act of eating, Serena did not notice her friend enter the room... Nor did she notice as she stood beside Iris, ready and waiting should she be needed...

Turning her gaze to look back at her mistress, the girl stopped chewing, the whole process freezing as she saw the state of her...

Akinyi looked absolutely shattered, both inside and out... Her eyes had gained bags underneath, the girl unable to sleep that night... She looked upset... She looked disturbed...

Serena resumed eating, not wishing to concern her wife... But she glanced back repeatedly at Akinyi, growing ever more concerned for the black girl... She’d have to speak with her at some point, Serena could not allow her friend to remain in this way, she needed support...

Any conversation would need to wait however... They were in the middle of breakfast, and Iris was strict when it came to mealtimes... Serena could not talk to her friend, no matter how badly she wished to... It was the way the Queen wanted it to be...

So she continued her meal, turning her gaze away from the black girl... They could talk afterwards... Just, not now...

*********************************************

Following the feast, Serena tried repeatedly to talk to Akinyi, but the girl seemed distant... She’d either try to avoid speaking to her altogether, or say something quick to shoot down any chances of conversation...

In the midst of attempting to garner further conversation however, the white girl felt a tug on her shoulder... She turned to face her owner, Iris looking down at her with her usual warm expression...

“We’re going to go out soon, are you ready, my love?” Iris asked her wife, who looked up at her with clear apprehension...

“I-I guess...”

Kissing her forehead gently, the Queen hugged her close, rubbing her back...

“I told you earlier Serena, we will both be safe, you have nothing to worry about...” Reassured the royal, moving the white girl over to the black slave...

“Akinyi, take her to get freshened up, let me know when she’s ready...” Iris ordered, Akinyi bowing silently before taking her friend’s hand, leading her away from their mistress...

The white teen considered trying to speak to Akinyi again, now they were out of earshot of their owner, but she knew pressing her would not be wise given her mood... The black girl was clearly being deeply affected by this visit... Talking about it might actually make it even worse...

As they walked through the halls of the palace, they went past a room, Serena stopping as she saw something of interest...

A local woman sat on a stool, a tattoo on her thigh signifying her status as a slave... It was not this that caught the white slave’s attention though...

In her arms, wrapped up in a somewhat drab blanket, she held a tiny infant, the child clearly only a few weeks into this world... It slept soundly as she held it, keeping it safe, almost certainly the mother...

“Hey...” Serena whispered, approaching them slowly... smiling, trying to show she was friendly...

“Aww, they look adorable... Is it a boy or a girl?”

But the pale girl did not receive an answer... Instead, the mother stared at her with both fear and anger, standing up swiftly and moving back, a determination in her eyes, a determination to keep away from her...

“What’s wrong? I’m not gonna hurt them, I-“

“Stay away soleskin!” The woman said quite threateningly in her hushed tone, holding her child closer to her, a deep distrust in her glare...

Serena felt herself being tugged back by Akinyi, her friend trying to remove Serena from the situation before she did something stupid...

The light slave stared back with a confused expression as she was led from the room, the mother’s gaze never leaving hers, staring at her defensively, with a look that told her to leave them alone, to stay away for good...

“What just happened there!?” Asked Serena, as soon as they were away from the room...

“You were foolish, that’s what happened... Can you not just leave people alone!?” Akinyi snapped back, uncharacteristically harsh, the stress of being here and having to deal with the Queen’s wife making her quite unfriendly...

“How was I meant to know she’d do that!? You always treat me like some sort of idiot, you and Iris, like I can’t act for mys-“

“ **You are an idiot!** ” The dark girl suddenly shouted, Serena looking at her with shock, stunned by her behaviour!

“I have told you time and time again how things work here, I have told you that your kind are not treated the same, yet you **continue** to act like a fool! Do you not understand that you are not equal!? That you are not the same as a black!? I keep telling you that, but you seem to forget yourself **constantly!** I’ve been losing my patience with you for a long time, but this is too much now!” She continued her tirade against Serena, the white teen now starting to become angry herself...

“I’m sorry, **I’M** the problem here!? Do you not think that maybe, just **MAYBE** , it‘s **THEY** who need to sort themselves out!? It’s not my fault that some of the people here are racists, I shouldn’t have to change myself for them!” Serena replied with angered frustration, Akinyi needed to understand it from her point of view, she shouldn’t be allowing that kind of behaviour!

Growling slightly, Akinyi suddenly grabbed Serena, shoving her against a wall, adrenaline seeing to it that she somehow had the strength to do this!

“Listen to me! I’m trying to help you! Do you not understand!? I **CAN’T** change them! None of us can! All you can do is deal with it! Now come on, her majesty will be angry if you take too long...” The black slave replied, calming down as she finished speaking, releasing her grip on the pale girl, Serena following her without a word... 

It was clear to Serena that Akinyi had already reached her breaking point, she was beyond stressed now... And despite living as a slave in the kingdom for a while now, it was clear to the white teen that she still had much to learn... She’d been quite shielded in the palace, shielded from the worst elements of the kingdom... Much like her seeing the fields, seeing Azmera, this had been a wake up call... 

Akinyi was right, she had been way too careless with her actions... In this kingdom, white people were clearly not trusted, nor were they tolerated... Serena’s position, as the property and lover of the ruler, was the only reason such ignorance on her part was tolerated...

She would definitely learn later... But wether she wanted to was an entirely different problem altogether...

*********************************************

A few people began to gather once Iris and her slaves exited the palace, Yeshiemebet and her manservant Tadesse walking beside them, the group surrounded by armed guards as they walked down the steps...

The village had seemed so large when viewed before... But getting closer to the individual areas, it all seemed much smaller, much easier to grasp visually... 

They walked not on carpet, or carried on a throne, but on their own bare feet... Despite Iris and Yeshiemebet’s status as royals, they were quite happy to venture forth in such a manner... It allowed them to walk freely, without the burden of having to stick to a certain strip of path, giving them some freedom, despite the restrictions their position put on their lives...

Akinyi was starting to really lose control now though... Many of the huts and other buildings here had been repurposed from that of her tribe... She could look over at almost any of them and remember them as they were... In fact, some businesses had indeed remained the same, except the ownership had been transferred to that of their rulers...

They passed an ironmongers, Serena staring up curiously at the sign written above... It was not anything coherent to her, those same unrecognisable characters the Zhireti used...

Below that was the open shop itself... It was stocked with various items, made of stuff such as metal and leather, tools and parts for various purposes...

“Mistress, where do you guys get all your metal from?” She asked her wife, Iris chuckling just slightly at her question... Such a primitive girl...

“From the mines my dear, we have some near K’olama Ākababīwochi... It is south of here, but our roads ensure the metals can spread throughout our kingdom... Is there anything there you would like, my love?” Iris asked, stopping her beside the ironmongers, happy to buy her slave whatever she would desire...

Serena looked around the shop, most of it was not at all appealing... Nails, some of them massive and long, tools such as hammers and scythes, all of it was quite uninteresting...

Her eyes widened however as they came to rest on another section of the shop... There were items here used for controlling the slaves... Collars, leather and metal, chains, shackles, and some other items that made Serena feel very uneasy, things that fitted round the head, or other areas of the body, things that, in her world, would be akin to devices of torture...

“Oooh, well now, look at this...” Iris suddenly spoke, making Serena turn to face her...

The Queen held two metal collars, connected via a chain to ensure those that wore them could not separate... They looked heavy, rough, cold...

“Maybe I could put this on you both, help stop you two from getting separated again!” The royal chuckled, her giddiness fading rapidly as she saw her wife begin to well up, the white girl becoming upset at such a prospect...

Hurriedly, Iris put the item back, pulling her slave into a strong hug...

“Sweetie I was joking, it’s ok sweetie, nobody is gonna put that on you dear...” The Queen reassured Serena, the girl sniffling a little as she nodded, calming down, but still shaken by the idea...

Akinyi stared onwards at the scene, herself fighting tears once more, although she hid it well... Those words had gotten to her too, not only because of the suggestion that she might be collared, but because of the memories it forced back into her...

Hearing a smirk, she turned to see Tadesse grinning at the scene, finding the white girl’s apprehension amusing...

Noticing the black girl staring angrily at him, he smiled at her, Yeshiemebet thankfully distracted as she spoke with the ironmonger himself...

“Problem, Akinyi?” Tadesse asked with a chuckle as she glared back towards him, speaking in a tongue that was neither Zhireti nor English... The slave girl didn’t respond, she couldn’t bring herself to... She was remembering what he’d done all those years ago, what his family had done...

“Oh don’t be like that... I honestly don’t know why that soleskin is so upset right now, or why you’re in such a mood either... I always thought you looked cute in a collar...” He said carelessly, biting his lower lip, looking Akinyi up and down, the woman covering her chest as he gawked at her...

“Don’t y-you dare try to woo me, or speak of my friend in that way...” Warned Akinyi with her voice hushed, knowing she’d be punished if Iris caught wind of her tone...

“Oh come on now, you might change your mind one day... We’re gonna be seeing a lot more of each other now that you’ve finally decided to visit again... We might just fall in love...” He said confidently, a big grin on his face, Akinyi disgusted by his remarks... She would never, not in a million lifetimes, ever lay with such a lowly worm as him...

“And why do care about some white anyway?” Tadesse remarked, making the dark girl scowl at him...

“For your information, she is not just some white... Her name is Serena, and she is my friend... I wouldn’t expect somebody like _you_ to understand... People don’t make friends with vermin-“

He stepped forward discreetly, the boy becoming angry himself now, glaring back in return...

“My family did what we had to do... Shut up and go back to your pretty little palmskin...” He practically ordered, Akinyi huffing a little as every instinct urged her to floor him... They both knew she couldn’t though, not here... Iris might just threaten to hang her again if she were to strike her cousin’s slave... 

Silently, she walked over to Serena, Tadesse smiling as he got his way... It felt good to get what you want...

The party moved on from the shop, none of them seeing anything that caught their interest... There were some things that did look rather nice, a few decorative metal bands, anklets and bracelets, a few that went around the neck too... But Serena was in no mood to get those right now, not after what had happened...

They continued, visiting a separate shop next, one that sold small trinkets and wood carved sculptures, beautiful things...

This shop interested Serena much more than the last... There were many representations here, of many different things... Pokemon, some Serena recognised, others she did not, were carved out of wood... Deities, many, all of them unknown to her, were represented in statues of their own, the smaller ones sometimes being made of stone...

As she browsed, she noticed there were woodcuts on sale too... The art was of a good quality, closer to that of medieval woodcuts than what Serena had expected...

They depicted scenes of the kingdom... Many of them depicted rituals, or perhaps events, stories... Others showed the lives of people here, market scenes of people buying and selling wares, various other scenes also... 

Then, she came to those that she would rather not have seen... One was of the livestock market... Artistic representations of boufallant, being herded for sale, crowds gathered to buy the livestock, a man bidding them off...

But beside that, further to the back, she could see what must have been the slave section... Figures stood, some coloured in, others left near bare in detail, the darker ones getting attention, the lighter ones only having their faces and some other features highlighted, the fairly bright colour of the wood making any detailing of them pointless...

The whole scene was not drawn to be horrific though... It looked fairly normal in this way it had been drawn, such a scene being quite tamely represented...

Beside that were more woodcuts... One had a scene on the farms, the field slaves working hard at harvest, one of the owners raising a hand to a slave who had been slacking off as the others ignore it... And beside that was yet another, a closeup of what looked to be a white slave girl, working hard to harvest their owner’s crops, a man standing nearby, ready to scold her if she tries to rest...

“You don’t want those, do you Serena? I do not often buy such items...” Iris suddenly asked, unsure why Serena seemed so fixated on them... They were fairly dull scenes of everyday life... In all honesty, the Queen had never really visited the market, livestock or otherwise, nor strolled through the fields... But it was not anything particularly interesting or surprising to see drawn... 

“N-not at all, mistress... I was simply admiring the fine art your people make...” Serena replied, a little surprised by how posh that sentence had sounded... Living here was starting to change her way of speaking... Little by little, she was beginning to talk like her owner...

“Here, would you like this my dear? It’s something all slaves dream of getting one day!” Said the Queen, Serena wondering what else other than freedom a slave could want...

Iris turned back around to face her, a strange pendant in her hand... It was made of wood, a carved drawing on its front of a tall woman... Her arms were held outwards, something connected to both of them with swirly lines...

“What is it mistress?” Serena asked as Iris handed it to her, letting her observe it up close, the item carved quite intricately...

“It is a pendant of Bebarineti Tesifa, she is one of our goddesses, the goddess of slaves...” The Queen replied with a smile, Serena looking at the pendant with less joy this time...

“Why do slaves have a goddess? I thought... Well...” The white girl asked, unable to really get the words out... Essentially though, she was surprised they cared enough for slaves that there was a goddess for them... The other woodcuts showed little care, so why did they have any sort of deity?

“My silly girl, all things have a god... I do not know what religion you come from, if indeed, the white’s do engage in any religion of their own... But here, you have a goddess... The pendant will protect you, Serena... Bebarineti Tesifa will shower her love upon any slave who follows their owners, and do not disobey... You have done both of those things, so I can guarantee she will look down fondly on you...” Iris explained with a gentle smile, hugging Serena as she observed the pendant... She didn’t want to be a slave... But if this pendant could help her through it, then, perhaps she should accept the gift...

“I’d love it mistress, thank you...” Replied the pale teen, Iris nodding as she took the pendant back, walking towards the owner of the shop... He was quite an elderly man, in his late 60’s, years of experience in him, experience that led him to create that which Serena had seen... 

A guard stepped forward to pay, giving the man some coins, the first time Serena had seen money here... It made sense in a way, they had mines, so rare metals _could_ plausibly be found... Still, it was a surprise to the girl, she had expected trade to be the primary monetary system here... Then again, perhaps it was... It was how she’d been sold to Iris in the first place after all...

Turning back to face her, Iris placed the pendant lovingly over Serena’s head, letting the string rest around her neck, the pendant on her chest, signifying she was now under the protection of Bebarineti Tesifa...

“Thank you so much mistress!” Exclaimed the slave girl, pecking the Queen on the lips in thanks, genuinely elated by such a gift... In all her time here, she had not received a single permanent gift... And now, she had one of her very own, something she could own herself...

Of course, she didn’t _really_ own it... Similar to Axew, it was something Iris had simply allowed to be in her possession... Her owner could take it at any moment, and indeed, she would if Serena were to disobey her...

But for now, it was a symbol of her trust and love for the girl, a beautiful gift for her wife, a simple trinket to her... To the white girl though, it was worth more than any diamond or jewel...

They left the shop soon after, Serena smiling as she gazed down at the pendant, accepting that, whilst it represented something she hated, it was still beautiful to her... In this life, she had no choice in exactly what happened to her, in what she was able to procure, or even what she was able to like... So to her, this pendant meant everything... It meant a tiny bit of normalcy, even if the pendant only reinforced her position...

As they strolled on to another area, Serena briefly looked up, her eyes locking onto a familiar form as all time stopped.

It was Mirach. He was here, in the village.

The boy was currently leaving a sign makers/calligraphers shop, a joint venture by two men that had made custom signs easy to receive... Mirach himself could not read or write, so having a calligrapher was more than necessary...

He walked outside with a fairly standard wooden sign, a board of wood with Zhireti characters written onto it, the text of which Serena could not even begin to read...

She kept sight of him for one moment longer as he took a nearby hammer and nails, hammering the sign onto a massive wooden board, some sort of community information board... Other signs were there too, most if not all simply having text, what Serena assumed to be various adverts or offers, although that assumption was based purely on the facts she could gather right now...

And then, before he could turn to see her, he was out of sight, Iris and the others moving on to another part of the village, inadvertently stopping her from confronting him... 

And she did wish she could confront him... She wanted to slam his face into the dirt, she wanted to break his nose... Serena wanted to make him feel the kind of pain Azmera had clearly been feeling, both internally and externally... She’d never quite known hatred like this before, but she could not resist such thoughts at the mere sight of him...

Moving her head back to face the others, she watched as they walked further into the village, ready to see so much more, wether Serena liked it or not...

*********************************************

Mirach hammered loudly as he drove the nail into the wood, the sign clanking a little before the nail held it still... He put one in at every corner just for good measure, standing back to admire his work...

He had not seen Serena watching him, but that was for many reasons... His mind was focused on another white girl entirely, the girl that belonged to **him**... He would never forgive her for running off, she would know just how angry he could be once he had her back in his grasp... Azmera thought she had seen the worst of him... But his behaviour before would seem like kindness compared to the hell he was preparing for her...

He took one last look at the sign, then, he left, making his exit from the area and from the village... He needed to return to the fields, there was work to do... Besides, perhaps the palmskin had decided to return herself... Mirach knew it was unlikely, but he held out onto hope that she’d come to her senses and return... It would be a mistake on her part, she would most likely not live through the punishments they had planned... White’s were stupid though, he knew that... And if she didn’t return to him of her own accord, it didn’t mean she was gonna get away...

Mirach left the sign hanging there, the sign Serena had been unable to read... Perhaps, that was a good thing... For seeing that text on the sign might have pleased her, or, it might have made her deeply, deeply worried...

———————————————————————————

**Runaway Slave Notice**  
—————————  
**Name:** _Azmera_

 **Registry Number:** _422626_

 **Age:** _18 ___

___**Physical description:** _Palmskin girl of average height, a dirty creature, dark brown eyes and hair, marked on both thighs, old tattoo crossed out.__  
—————————  
_Slave was last seen fleeing from owner’s land last night, fled into the forest. Property has been tattooed with initials of current owners, which can be verified through the Registry Office._

___The girl is neither smart nor strong of character, a very foolish girl who has decided to run despite the food and shelter offered to her by her owners. Slave likely to flee on sight, but does not possess the capability to defend itself and should be considered no threat._ _ _

___Slave had nothing on its person at time of escape, and has no prior history of such defiance. She is also of a nervous and fearful disposition, but is quite tame, will follow orders if assertive towards her._ _ _

___Monetary reward_ **OR** _crops will be offered to whomever can ensure the safe return of said property. Property must have no injuries unless minor, force may be used to subdue the slave.__ _

___For more information, refer to registry number._ _ _

__———————————————————————————_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent a lot of time on this chapter, which accounts for it’s lateness, which I apologise for.
> 
> This is probably the best chapter I feel I’ve written so far, although I would still hope I can do better at some point.
> 
> As always, I look forward to hearing your feedback or comments, and I hope all of you have a good day <3


	22. Strolling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And the day goes on...

Walking with the others, Akinyi looked around herself, staring at the village she had once called home, the place she had grown up... It had changed so much, yet, so little...

She’d recognised the shops, the ironmongers that had been so before the invasion, the shop where father had purchased the tools needed for their work, where she had sometimes come along to visit... The girl remembered meeting people in there, _her_ people...

But it was changed now... It was no longer her people who frequented it, not unless they were accompanying others... And the man who owned it was a stranger, not the kind woman who had run it before...

Then, that second shop, where Serena had received that pendant, that had been very different before... It used to be a butchers, it was where she and her family would, if their money was not tight, buy cuts of bouffalant or skiddo, a special treat for the hard work they had done during the harvest...

It was so changed too... Woodcuts hung where unfezant once did, there were sculptures of the gods where slabs of meat once lay... It felt wrong, like when you wake up within a dream... Your home is there, it looks almost the same... But you can tell, deep down, that something is amiss...

Now, she watched as they passed by a few more shops... The greengrocers that now sold fishhooks and other gear... The home of one of her friends, the family who had lived not far from them... And then-

Akinyi froze to the spot, her eyes locking onto one hut in particular, nestled within many others, just another home amongst many...

Noticing her friend had halted, Serena tugged on her shoulder, wondering what had stopped her...

“Hey, you alright Akinyi? What’s wrong?” She asked, tugging again on the black girl’s shoulder, Akinyi breaking from her stupor as Serena’s efforts brought her back to reality...

“I-I am fine Serena...” The darker of the two replied, moving hastily to join the others as Serena stared at what her friend had been looking at, the white girl watching as a family left the hut, a woman with two small children, a native slave girl following them behind...

She had no idea just what significance that hut had to her friend... But for now, she had to keep up with the others, rushing to join her mistress again as they approached a new area, the sound of music emanating as they drew closer...

*********************************************

Azmera strolled cautiously through the forest, eyes and ears alert in case of danger, every step as light as possible, every movement a careful one... It she were spotted, wether by a human or an unfriendly Pokemon, it could spell her end...

She trod lightly, trying her best not to make a sound, her head swinging back and forth to ensure there were no dangers around her... Well, as good as you can when there are trees everywhere, blocking your view...

Danger could come from anywhere... There might be slave catchers after her already, for all she knew... There might be large, predatory Pokemon, those who will see her as a quick and easy snack...

The slave girl was lost, and she knew it... Of course, technically, you cannot be lost if you have no destination... But she was not walking with any certainty as to where she was going, only with the certainty that she had no idea...

The forest’s here were large and vast... Any land that was not occupied by a village, settlement or field was thick jungle... Azmera had never before been in the jungle, only seen it from the outside, or travelled through it on the roads with her owners...

She’d been travelling on those roads only weeks earlier, her owners taking her to Kekorebitawochi Āk’irabīya to get yet another tattoo, this one on her other thigh, a big “X” being tattooed over her old owner’s mark... 

Azmera hated getting tattoos, she’d hated it the first time, and even more the second... She at least got the privilege of having her mother by her side when first she had been marked, holding her hand as a needle jabbed repeatedly into her... 

When she got it the second time, she was all alone, save for one of her masters, who showed her no sympathy when it came time to carry out the procedure...

The slave sat to rest momentarily, sitting herself on an old tree stump as she looked down at her old tattoo, the ink slightly faded, the big bold cross through it standing out... 

Azmera wished she didn’t have either of the tattoos, the constant reminders of her place in this kingdom... It made her feel less like a person, more like some sort of cattle, an animal that needs to be marked in case it ru-

She stopped thinking, welling up a little as she sat there, the pale teen knowing they had been forced onto her for this exact situation, and **hating** that fact... Azmera didn’t want to be returned to her owners, she never wanted to see them or Mirach again... 

But if she were caught, that would almost certainly be the case... The penalties were high for owning a slave that did not legally belong to you, so Azmera knew it was unlikely her captors would keep her for themselves...

For a brief moment, she considered a rather dark possibility... She could find something sharp, and using that, mutilate herself where the tattoos were, mark them up until they were unrecognisable... The white girl wanted to do that more than anything, to remove those marks on her skin... If she could, she’d rip her skin off, and cast away the inks that said who she was in life... 

But that was a very bad idea given her situation... Likely, she would not be able to damage it enough before the pain and bleeding would force her to stop... And it would put her at risk of getting an infection, of making it harder for her to travel... At best, she’d simply get captured and delay the inevitable identification of her owners... At worst, she could die...

Other thoughts started filling her head, the slave girl pondering how she could ensure she wouldn’t return to Mirach... Perhaps she could somehow make herself look enough like her superiors that she could blend in? No, no that would never work... Her eyes may have been brown, those would match, but her hair was very clearly not native... Azmera would have a hard time trying to fix that, as well as deal with her skin... Tanned as she were, she was still much lighter than the others, they would catch on quick... 

It was simply not an option... It was clear, she had to keep herself hidden... But for how long? And what sort of existence would she experience out here? The slave did not want to spend the rest of her free days stuck out in the woods, living on her own, nobody to talk to, fearing the gaze of any man... No, she wanted to at least _be_ with people, to be amongst others...

Due to her status, due to her race, there was no clear future she could have in this kingdom... Her life was truly inescapable... Azmera was free, but at the same time, she was hopelessly trapped by her own reality... Escape could not really be called such when it only restricted you in some other fashion...

Her train of thought was interrupted by her stomach, the organ rumbling, her body hungry... The teen needed some food, she needed to eat something... It was no use being free if you were starving to death...

Forcing herself to her feet, she searched further, walking over dirt and fallen branches, looking for something she could eat, anything... She’d eat the soil if she could, she was **that hungry**... 

The slave wandered for another half an hour before, to her relief, she spotted two juicy sitrus berries, the pear-like fruit hanging large and heavy on the branch... Large, three-toed tracks underneath showed who had consumed the rest, a donphan, perhaps even the same she had met earlier... Clearly, it had picked the plant clean of its fruits... All except for the two it was unable to reach...

Whichever donphan it was though, it was gone now, the footprints the only evidence of its presence other than some torn branches on the sitrus tree...

The white girl approached cautiously, her foot pressing into the wet mud below, congealed from the storm the night before, her foot leaving a deep indent as the slave strained her arms, trying to reach the fruit, so close...

And then, success! Azmera grabbed one of the sitrus berries, her mouth slamming over it as she took a deep bite, sweet juice hitting her tongue as she fed hungrily, finally getting something to eat, something to replenish her energy...

Not a single shred of flesh remained on the fruit, every last bit eaten away, the girl even going as far as to eat the core, discarding the seeds before she chowed down on that too... It was tough, but it was food... 

Azmera had been a slave her entire life, never knowing quite when she’d get to eat... Every bite could be the last of the day, should her owners decide not to feed her... Food had come more often under Admassu’s ownership, but there were times where he’d denied them it, if he believed she and her mother’s work had not been adequate... 

Under her new owners, the slave girl had been fed even less so... In fact, to get fed at all, she had to often beg Mirach for some of his bread, the boy relenting, but not without some hateful comment towards her, calling her a “needy bitch”, amongst other things... Azmera took it without argument though, she had to... If she didn’t take his abuse, physical and verbal, she would go hungry...

But now, for the first time, it was she who was feeding herself... The gods had blessed her with two succulent fruits, and the pale girl was eternally grateful towards them...

Growing up in the kingdom, Azmera shared the same religion as her superiors, she turned to the same gods in times of trouble... And now, she was in the thick of it...

Finishing the second fruit, eating swiftly, looking about her as she did for any threats, she walked off carefully until she found some cover, the low hanging branches of a large bush obscuring her...

The runaway slave dropped to her knees, lowering her head until it almost touched the ground, hands clasped tightly together...

“Yehodi Memuya... I thank you with my entire soul for bringing me food, I thank you greatly...” The white teen said, her gratitude to the gods greater than anything...

“And Bebarineti Tesifa, oh goddess, I know I have disobeyed thy will... I know that I am supposed to honour my owners, and my superiors, I know that... But I could not remain with them, I am sorry, so deeply sorry... I pray to you, please do not let me come to harm, please do not force me to return to them... I cannot return to them, oh goddess, they would kill me, they would do horrible things to me... Please, if you can, see to it that I find my way into safe hands, away from danger... I am grateful you have kept me safe so far, but I fear that soon, I shall be in danger once more...” Azmera whispered in prayer to her ruling goddess, the goddess of slaves, the one goddess she knew she could turn to... 

The girl was unsure just how she felt about her place... She hated being a slave, she hated being inferior, she hated all of that... But she had been taught that her goddess wished for all slaves to bow down upon their masters, that they should accept their place... If she would work hard, and show her loyalty throughout her life, then, when time came for her spirit to depart, it would join the gods in the sky, where she would find freedom within the 4th realm...

It had become harder and harder to retain that belief though... As a teen, she had begun to question it within her... If Bebarineti Tesifa wished for them to remain enslaved, if it truly was the way, then why did she allow owners to be so cruel? Why did she allow them to split up families? Why did she allow Mirach to abuse her? 

Azmera had no time to ask her goddess this, and she knew a direct response was something only the most holy experienced... All she could do was pray to the one being that might be able to help her...

“I thank you all for your time, may the gods forever rule over us all...” The slave ended her prayer, standing herself back up, ready to continue on towards nowhere... No matter what happened, no matter what she was to face, she would do it with the knowledge that her goddess was by her side, watching over her...

*********************************************

Serena had not been introduced to the music of the Zhireti before... Iris was often far too worn out after her day of ruling to enjoy any music, she preferred to rest... Even here, she spent much time talking, there was simply no real time for melodies...

Yet here they were, walking towards a large gathering of villagers, a wide open circle within the crowd, visible as they all sat down, watching the entertainment...

At the edge of the circle, at the back, where the crowd were fewest, musicians sat... One man had a pair of drums, well built, their sound exhilarating as he beat them, rich and full... Next to him sat another man, holding some strange string instrument, somewhat similar to a guitar, or perhaps a lyre, but different enough that Serena could not quite pin it to any instrument she had seen before...

Other musicians sat with similar instruments, drums of different sizes, or different stringed ones... They played in unison, their musical timing impeccable...

They played a rather dramatic song, the drums beating loudly as the first performer stepped from the back of the crowd into the circle, much more professional looking than the mere dancing maidens Serena had seen on her wedding day...

A tall woman stood in the middle of the circle, her body painted in several sections with what looked to be yellow stripes, the bands of colour painted up her body, interrupted by her own natural complexion, the girl mesmerising to look at...

In her hands, attached to handles, she held a pair of beedrill claws, waving them about as she danced, making herself look big as she did, emanating power, emulating the very thing that a beedrill was... Even the musicians helped in this regard, the one with the stringed instrument using it to create a buzzing noise as the drums became ever more intense, the woman leaping a little as she held the weapons aloft, proud and powerful, graceful in the danger she put forward...

Serena lost herself in the moment, watching as the woman pranced about, as if she were a beedrill, soaring through the air, the performer starting to leap as she and the music became more frenzied, building up to a crescendo as she flung about, the claws making a “whooosh!” sound as they cut through the air!

Then all of a sudden, she stopped, balancing on one foot, holding her claws out majestically, the performance over... The crowd burst into applause, some clapping, some stamping their feet, all making noise to show their approval...

She stood there, visibly sweating from the performance, as well as the heat, before giving a small bow and making her exit through where she had entered...

There were some people waiting there to attend to her, some of them slaves, giving her something to drink and ensuring she could recover... What she had done was impressive, but it was also strenuous...

Serena was becoming giddy now, getting excited as the next performer came within the circle, a man wearing a feathered cloak, red on top and grey underneath, with blue highlights on what looked like a fan, vaguely familiar, most likely from a Pokemon she had known of in her world...

He did not dance, but instead, held his hands aloft, as if soaring, one of the men beginning to play some kind of wind instrument, almost serenading the scene with the gentle tunes it produced...

And then, a woman came in, different from the prior one... She wore atop her head a wig/helmet, the hair of a bouffalant with an inner structure that kept the horns attached, fitting well over her head, making it look like it was one with her body... Attached behind that was bouffalant hide, allowing the woman to cover herself in it, to take on the role even greater than before...

She dropped low, although she did not touch the ground... She seemed to glide as she walked, strolling, recreating a bouffalant, the man still soaring in the circle... But then, the music changed...

The wind instrument went silent, replaced by the harsh beating of drums as he took notice of the woman, soaring nearer to her, the woman moving away, the pair doing rounds around the circle as both performed yet another part of nature...

Suddenly, he swooped over the bouffalant, the woman wrapping the hide around her as he enveloped her with his own cloak, the two becoming one as they glided out of the circle, the performance over....

The crowd cheered once more, wild in their approval, the two performers returning to bow slightly, before leaving, the slaves tending to them next...

The white girl continued to watch as yet more performers took to the stage, emulating many different animals, each of them having a unique way of trying to play their part...

Akinyi watched also, the performance helping to take her mind off her troubles... The rituals were, technically, the Zhireti’s, not those of her people... But they were broad enough that they did not feel alien to her... Often, they performed things that were much less universal, stories, recreations of events from the past, or depictions of their gods... She had been lucky to come on such a day as this, where none of those things were scheduled...

After the performances had finished, Serena was eager to visit the performers, who bowed upon seeing the Queen and their governor (well, governess, but they did not really specify that here)...

On seeing the white girl though, they looked upon her with what only could be called disgust, although they tried their best to keep it subdued... This was Iris’s wife, they expected they had to show some restraint, just to please her majesty... They would _not_ show respect though, that was beyond what they would show any slave, let alone a white...

“You guys were amazing! How did you learn to do all those leaps?” Serena asked the beedrill girl in excitement, Akinyi helping to translate due to Serena’s lax Zhireti skills... 

The beedrill woman smiled down at the girl, although it was not one of warmth... She was simply happy that even a mere slave, a pale one no less, was still able to recognise her power...

“Well, it took a lot of training, I have been taught from a young age... I could not have done it without my girls though, they are of great help...” The woman said happily, her slaves crowding around her, glad to be with their mistress... A position as a performer’s assistant was a prestigious one, and they felt honoured to be by her side...

The woman seemed glad to know them also, putting an arm on the shoulders of two of them, holding them to her with a loving possessiveness...

“I thought you were incredible out there! I used to be a performer too once...” The white girl said to the woman, who’s smile quickly faded, as did the smiles of the others...

“D-did I say something wrong?” Serena asked, confused, looking around, until Akinyi whispered into her ear...

“You can’t say that Serena! Whites here, they... They do not perform such things, they perform things that they are not proud of...” Akinyi warned, Serena nodding, taking a deep breath...

“Wh-What I meant was, in my world, o-outside of the kingdom, I performed myself, n-not in the ways slaves perform here though!” The pale slave corrected herself, trying to explain the situation, the others seeming less unhappy with that info...

“I... See... So, the palmskins perform themselves? Must be a rather, well, _basic_ performance then...” The woman chuckled, her slaves doing the same, wondering just what a white would look like trying to perform...

“No, you don’t understand, it is like yours-“

Serena’s explanation was silenced as Akinyi threw her hand over her mouth, the woman standing up in anger, her own slaves glaring at the royal one, deeply offended...

Akinyi led her back, the whole royal group retreating, Iris apologising profusely for her slave’s actions as the rest of the party stared at her with deep disappointment...

“What did I do!?” Exclaimed the royal slave, prying Akinyi’s hand off of her mouth, very, very confused...

“You cannot compare your ways to their’s! They see your culture as primitive, they see you as savage... To compare your ways to their own would be like a dog saying it is the same as a man!” Akinyi explained with yet more frustration, tugging her hurriedly back towards the palace as Iris caught up with them, snatching the pendant and lifting it off of Serena’s neck, taking it away from her!

“Mistress! But I just-“

“Keep quiet! We will talk about this back at the palace, you do not deserve this pendant after what you have done!” The Queen spoke under a hushed tone, not wishing to draw attention to herself... They already had some people crowding around them, she had to keep her cool out here... After what her slave did, they’d be lucky for this ordeal not to become a royal scandal...

Realising the gravity of what had happened, Serena went silent, keeping her lips sealed tight as Akinyi led her back towards the palace, knowing the sooner they were inside, the better...

*********************************************

Iris dragged Serena by her ear towards one of the empty rooms, the girl wincing as she tugged it hard, struggling to keep up...

“Ow ow ow ow ow!” The slave exclaimed as her owner led her over to the room with anger, slamming the door once they were inside, throwing her wife to the ground...

“Do you have **ANY** idea just what you have done, how embarrassing that was? Well, **DO YOU!?** ” Iris yelled, Serena cowering in fear as her mistress turned on her, too frightened to speak...

“I have warned you, time and time again, not to embarrass me in front of the others... And yet, in front of my **cousin** , in front of my **subjects** , you have decided to defy my warnings...” The Queen said, her voice cold, shaking with anger, but keeping it contained for now...

“I-Iris, I’m s-“

The Queen lost her temper, slapping Serena with her hand several times, hitting her back and forth across her pale face, turning it red as the slave began to well up...

“Do **NOT** call me that! I may tolerate it because you are naive, because you are my wife, but I do so only when I am happy with you... And I’m not happy right now Serena...” Iris spoke without yelling, a bad, bad sign... When she was yelling, she was angry... When she was angry, but not yelling, it meant she was **pissed!**

Unable to cope with both the fear and the sadness, Serena began to sob, something that only enraged her owner further...

“I’m the **QUEEN** Serena! What you have done would have been embarrassing for any owner, but I have a reputation to uphold! I should have married Akinyi instead, she may be the spawn of my enemies, but at least she’s sensible, she’s polite, she would never ever do such a thing as you did!” Iris shouted, a good sign in a way... She was yelling now, that meant she was not at the very end of her rope... But it also meant she was still deeply enraged...

“Mistress please I’m sorry I didn’t mean it I didn’t know please!!!” The white girl begged with terror in her tone, cowering before her owner, a scared slave, one who knew they had done something very, very wrong...

“Sorry means nothing after what you’ve done! Do you know who that was you just spoke to? She’s perhaps one of the greatest performers in the kingdom, she travels around all the villages, everybody knows her... You have walked up to such a prestigious woman and told her that you can perform like she does! And not only are you a slave, you are a **white!** ” The Queen yelled angrily, the poor girl below her completely lost on how she could defuse the situation...

Suddenly, she grabbed Serena, flipping the girl onto her back, putting one foot on her head, Serena starting to panic and wince as her weight bore down on her skull!

“Look at my foot. Look at it!” Iris shouted, the tip of her foot visible to Serena, although blurred...

“I-I can see it mistress!! I-I don’t understand why-“

Serena groaned, going silent again as the Queen shifted more of her weight onto that leg!

“What colour is the skin of my sole? What colour is the skin that touches the ground, that touches the dirt? What colour is the only part of my body I feel is worthy of that?” The black woman asked, a growl to her voice, she was not having fun here, none of them were... She was serious, and she was angry!

“Wh-white!” Exclaimed the frightened slave below her, trying in vain to push her owner off, finding she could not manage to shift her foot even an inch off her head...

“Exactly. That is what **you** are... Your skin is no better than the skin on my sole, or on my palm... It is the part of me that may touch dirty things, it is what you are, what all palmskins are! You are all just as dirty, even if you are not on the outside... You are below us, just as my feet are below me... So if you **EVER** compare yourself to a black again, you will regret ever being born!” Iris spat, lifting her foot off of the slave’s head, kicking her hard in the face as she turned her gaze to face her owner, pushing Serena back to the floor!

“I’m sending Akinyi In after me, get yourself cleaned up and then join me in the main hall... If you **DARE** try to embarrass me again, I will make you suffer like you have never suffered before...” Iris spoke harshly, storming out of the room, Akinyi entering moments later, rushing to Serena’s side...

“Ak-Ak-Akinyi!” The white girl sobbed as her friend came over to her, holding Serena protectively, checking her over to make sure she was ok...

The pale teen was near inconsolable, sobbing loudly, Akinyi shushing her as best she could, the others would not want to hear, such noise was considered a nuisance...

“Serena, you have to be quiet Serena, calm down... Please, calm down Serena...” The black girl said to her friend, repeating her name to try and get through to her as she broke down...

It took a while, but, Serena managed to calm herself... Tired from sobbing, she sniffled, her face red and wet from her sorrow, her eyes puffy from the tears...

“Serena, listen to me, ok? We are going to go out there, and you are going to stop crying, and everything will be ok, but you have to keep calm, alright?” Akinyi said to the white girl, Serena nodding, wiping the tears from her eyes as she tried to compose herself, knowing Iris would need her soon...

Her friend helping her to her feet, legs numb from being dormant, she walked over to the door, exiting the room, getting ready to face her owner again...

*********************************************

Mirach dug angrily through the dirt, forcing up the plant he was harvesting, chucking it carelessly towards the wheelbarrow, missing and hitting one of his fellow slaves right on the nose!

“Ow! Mirach, what the hell man!?” The black slave girl shouted, rubbing her cheek, glaring at the boy...

“Fuck off Awiti, not my fault you’re standing there like some bitch, get working!!” He growled back, the girl not at all stirred by his aggression... Awiti knew what he could be like, she didn’t put up with his shit...

“I **am** working! I’m the one who’s gonna be hauling this back to storage... This isn’t about me though, is it Mirach? It’s about the palms-“

“Don’t fucking mention that **bitch!** ” He interrupted angrily, snapping back at her, Awiti giving him a glare...

“Well, that _bitch_ , as you call her, ran away because of **you!** You were too cruel to her, she may be a white, but even they don’t deserve such treatment...” Awiti replied defiantly, she would not obey him... He was a slave like she was, he was **not** her master...

“Awiti, She is a palmskin, she is not like us... I ain’t got no reason to treat her any better than I’d treat any animal...” He replied coldly, throwing the last of the vegetables onto the wheelbarrow...

“Get it moving girl, we need this in storage before the birds get to it...” He ordered, Awiti scoffing at his demands...

“Mirach, **you’re** a slave, **I’m** a slave! You act like a freeman, like my owner, but you are none of those things...” The black girl fired back, Mirach glaring at her...

“Just do it! Unless you want me to tell the masters you ain’t working?” Mirach said with a slight grin, the girl huffing for a moment, before obeying his commands...

She grabbed the wheelbarrow, heaving it back towards where the crops were stored, a small building behind the main two, somewhere they could dump the work and leave it until it was ready to be sold...

She emptied it in, hating how moody Mirach had gotten since the girl ran last night... The boy had always been nasty, but when he had a girl to abuse, it at least gave him something to take his frustration out on...

It worked out badly for Awiti also... With that door open during the escape, she had awoken too, getting far less sleep than she needed... 

Part of her, a part that wasn’t proud, wished the palmskin hadn’t run away... It put more strain on them now, they had to do all the work with one less pair of hands to assist them... Awiti did not miss the girl though... She had never once conversed with the white slave, all except for the night she was first violated by her owners and Mirach... That night still haunted her sometimes, but she tried to justify it in her head... Azmera was a white, white’s were not meant to be able to feel like a black, whites were much closer to animals...

But it was hard to keep that justification once she’d seen the mess Azmera had become... She’d spoken with such desperation, such sorrow... How could she not feel in the same way a black could?

Awiti did not wish for the girl to escape for long though... As selfish as it was, her presence here gave others security... The attentions of her owners were most focused on Azmera, they knew the white girl would be easiest to abuse... That helped protect her and the other black girls here, even if it came at the expense of the white one suffering...

Azmera was gone now though, and with her, Mirach’s ability to let out his frustrations... Awiti had to hope the girl would return soon... If not, it could put them all in quite a lot of danger...

*********************************************

Serena approached Iris as she spoke with her cousin in the main hall, bowing her head as Iris turned to look at her, a general dislike in her eyes...

“Well... I see you’ve cleaned yourself up at least... But have you cleaned up your act, hm?” Asked the Queen, lifting Serena’s head by her chin, the white girl staring back sadly...

“Y-yeah... Mistress... I’m so sorry for what I did, you were right to punish me, to put me in my place like that...” Serena said, submitting without issue... Her apologetic nature was the only real asset she could use right now to help please her owner... 

Iris sighed, her anger fading... She still felt that Serena had been incredibly embarrassing earlier... But it was hard to stay angry at her, she was her wife, they were married...

She rubbed Serena’s shoulder, the girl finding herself becoming calmer as a result... It was a strange existence she had, Iris had beaten her in the past, and just today, she had stood on her head, just to make a point...

Serena still loved her though... She _had_ to love her... At least Iris was kind at times, she was also quite beautiful... She’d take the Queen any day over a villain like Mirach...

Kissing her slave on the forehead, just as she’d done many times, Iris smiled softly, running her hand through her wife’s long hair...

“I forgive you, my love... What you did was wrong, but you have shown you accept that... You may have the pendant back after dinner...” The Queen said warmly, before turning back to face her cousin and talk, her business with Serena dealt with...

The paler girl just stood and smiled up at the two, seeing Iris happy always seemed to make things better, no matter what...

*********************************************

Three figures walked through the streets of Kekorebitawochi Āk’irabīya... The first was a tall dark man, dressed as if for combat, tools and weapons strapped to a belt he wore around his shoulder, accompanied by another belt around his waist... He was tattooed heavily, tattoos of a former soldier, although it was clear he was now retired... They were faded, and he was now in his early 40’s, a man who kept himself in good shape, but who was getting older nonetheless...

Beside him walked an entirely different person... It was a white woman in her mid 20’s, with chestnut hair and eyes, herself quite tall... She was tattooed also, and not only with her slave marker... She bore other tattoos, tattoos he, her master, had gifted her, tattoos of power... It was fitting that she also had two belts of her own, in the same configuration as her master, clipped with the same items and weapons, among others...

She walked beside her owner with pride in her gait, almost an equal despite being a white... The slave was not an equal though, and she knew that... But she also did not care one bit...

Beside these two, another figure was forced to walk, vastly different from the others... She was a slave girl, somewhere between 16 and 20, with light olive skin, a white girl just like the woman who was walking with her...

The teen had eyes of a dark brown, her hair black, her slave tattoo clearly visible on her thigh... She did not walk as they did though, despite being within the same group...

The girl was shackled, her wrists shackled behind her back, her ankles shackled below her, a length of chain ensuring she could walk, but not run...

Around her pale neck, she wore a collar of thick metal that rubbed her skin red underneath, as did her shackles... And leading her, holding her via a chain with a leather handle, was the white woman, uncaring as she tugged the girl behind her, showing no sympathy despite the fear and sadness on the olive slave’s face... Instead, she turned herself to face away from the girl, she was of no importance when so firmly in their grasp...

All three of them stopped as the head two noticed a new sign had been placed on the community board, their eyes lighting up as the words “Runaway Slave Notice” hit their gaze...

“Well Meklit, looks like we got ourselves some work after we take this one back, don’t we?” The man said, his general way of speaking almost reminiscent of somebody in a mafia, glad of their own evil ways...

“Sure does master...” His slave replied, an enjoyment in her voice, not a hint of dislike for his attitude... In fact, she seemed to _love_ the way he thought...

“You thinking what I’m thinking?” He said knowingly, a smile crawling across his tattooed face...

“Slam dunk...” Replied his girl with a grin, their minds as one... Great minds think alike, and to them, their minds _were_ the greatest!

Making sure to remember the number, they made their way down towards the Registry Office, their captive in tow, the girl looking quite exhausted...

They stepped inside the large hut, a rather official looking place, shelves upon shelves of records stacked up in the back behind the counter, an old man sitting there, somewhere in his 70’s, the head worker at this branch of the offices... The main building was of course in Bewenizu Āt’egebi, but they had neither the time nor the need to venture there...

“How may I help you? You are here to register the girl I presume?” The old man asked, his speech somewhat slow, somewhat quiet, but loud enough for them to hear...

“Nah, this girl’s a runaway, aren’t you honey?” The man chuckled, pinching the olive girl’s cheek, the slave looking up at him with a mixture of fear and sorrow...

“She ain’t a talker... Anyway, we would like to enquire on another runaway, Azmera, number 422626...” He said to the old man, who nodded, standing up to go and search through the shelves, heading to the “Missing Property” section...

As he went to look, Meklit gazed down at the girl, who was shaking, both from tiredness and from the dread of that which awaited her...

“I can see you’re not used to punishment, huh?” Meklit asked, the slave girl below her looking up, giving her a small nod...

“Probably for the best then... After all, I wouldn’t want to know about the spike shackles either if I was gonna wear them...” The taller woman chuckled, the girl below her letting out a small whimper as she began to shake harder...

“Aah, here we go!” The old man suddenly said, walking back over with a wooden tablet in his hand...

He handed it to the woman’s owner, the man and his slave studying the information... 5ft 3in, no known health issues, a mere field white... She was the perfect job...

He took note of her owners names and location, Meklit writing the information down on a small tablet of her own, one she kept inside a satchel that hung from her utility belt....

“Thank you for your help...” Said the owner to the old man, who took back the tablet, waving a goodbye as the two figures exited with their catch, having all the information they needed to prepare for their next assignment...

*********************************************

Dinner had been much like the night before, a bountiful feast for all... Well, all who were not slaves at least...

Serena was the only slave who sat at the table, and in fact, was probably the only one who ever _had_... Slaves were only tolerated in the room if they were serving, one sitting at the table was almost unimaginable...

But Serena was Iris’s wife, and as such, she sat by her side, getting a privilege most commoners, let alone slaves, would ever experience...

Following the meal, Iris went to another room, coming back with Serena’s pendant, the white girl lighting up as she saw it...

Lovingly, the Queen placed it back around her wife’s neck, letting it rest as it had before, smiling down at her beautiful slave...

“You have earned this back with your obedience, my love... But I will not be so forgiving should you cause such issues again... So do you promise to behave yourself?” Iris asked Serena, stroking the slave’s hair a little...

“I do mistress, I do... Thank you...” The pale girl replied, bowing, grateful for her owner’s lenience...

“I’m glad... Now, me and my cousin have some rather serious business to discuss, so I would like you to go with Akinyi and do whatever you wish, so long as you do not interfere with any of the superiors here, or go anywhere you are not permitted...” The Queen ordered, Serena and Akinyi bowing, leaving the room in search of something to do...

*********************************************

“Woah, cool!” Lulit said, stopping her work as Serena came by, walking up to observe the pendant... The white slave had been dusting the hallway, but it was work that could wait...

“I’m glad you like it... Could you tell me more about the goddess on it though? I don’t know much about her...” Admitted Serena, the other white girl staring at her with confusion...

“You don’t know about Bebarineti Tesifa?” Lulit asked, Serena nodding her head, the older girl unable to understand how it could be so...

“But like, EVERYBODY knows who she is! Some of us pray to her... You really don’t know a thing about her?” The girl asked Serena again, trying to make sure she really understood, Serena once more nodding the affirmative...

“Wow... Well um, I guess I’ll start from the beginning, sit down with me...” Lulit said, sitting herself on the floor, Serena and Akinyi doing the same...

“Alright so, long ago, like before the kingdom, before the Zhireti themselves, before people even, there were the gods... The most senior god was Fit’ireti, he was and is king of the gods... Well anyway, all the other gods worked under him, all except for one, Bebarineti Tesifa...” The girl explained, both slaves nodding as they listened, Akinyi knowing the story well...

“So, Bebarineti Tesifa was actually born from the earth herself, she arose through the dirt and up into the 5th realm, the highest realm of the gods... But she was closer to the humans, she was not fit to be a true god, she was... Well, to put it bluntly, she was lesser...” Lulit continued, Serena feeling slightly disappointed at the revelation that this goddess was below the others...

“There was great debate amongst the gods, what should they do about her? She was above the humans, but only due to her godly nature... Yet, she was closer to them, closer to the Earth, to the animals that roamed upon it... So it was decided, she would remain in the 5th realm, but she would not be free to rule as a goddess... Instead, she would become property, like the ox... Essentially, she was the first slave, the first of all of us...” The slave said almost causally, unfazed by that fact, it was just how it was...

“Hearing this, Bebarineti Tesifa grew defiant, she wished to remain free, she tried to escape to the first realm, to the Earth, but she was tracked by the hunter god, Yyešiga Felagī, and he captured her in the 2nd realm, just as she was about to cross and defy her owners... He took her back to the 5th realm, where Yedemena Gezhi, god of the weather, forged chains from the darkest storm clouds and bound each wrist with them to ensure she could not escape... At best, she could reach the 2nd realm, before the chains would stop her... Those are on the pendant, see?” Lulit said as she pointed to the swirly things leading away from the goddesses wrists, the detailing on the pendant finally becoming clear to Serena...

“So now, Bebarineti Tesifa is the goddess of slaves, and slave to the gods. She is traded between all of them, having many separate owners, but forever the goddess to which we turn... Still can’t believe you ain’t heard this before, we all got told it as kids...” The girl said as she finished the story, Serena sat in a thoughtful silence, grateful that Lulit had taken the time to tell her, and that Akinyi had translated for them both...

“That’s... An interesting story... But I do not understand, why do you worship her? She herself does not wish to be a slave, so, why would she wish for you to follow her?” Serena asked, Lulit looking a little nervous at her questions...

“Bebarineti Tesifa... Is not defiant anymore... I... I don’t like to mention it, but Yedemena Gezhi, after he had chained her, lashed her with lighting until she repented her disobedient ways.... And now, she accepts her place obediently, and wishes for all those like to her to do likewise... It’s just how it is, and hey, at least we have her... I pray to her, a lot of slaves do... It’s said she’ll protect any slave who follows their owners and obeys their will, so I try to do that....” Lulit replied calmly, quite unemotional about the reality of it... It had been her life for her entire life, and as much as she didn’t want to be a slave, she knew she had no choice... She’d made her peace with it, she lived quite well compared to some... It was, in a kind of messed up way, a privilege that she got to work the high households...

Serena stayed silent in response, answering to that statement would be difficult... She knew now that this goddess was a complicated figure, perhaps one who existed more to try and condition the slaves, rather than help them...

But attacking Lulit’s beliefs was not in Serena’s best interests, and neither was disliking the pendant... In all honesty, she still liked it... It was wrong... But it was hers...

“Thank you for telling me this, uh... Sorry, I don’t think I introduced myself, I’m Serena...” 

“I’m Lulit! Pleased to meet ya!” Lulit replied, giving Serena a smile...

“And no need to thank me, you oughta hear it from somebody, all slaves do... But, why ain’t you able to speak well? And why don’t you know what we all know?” Asked the slave girl, Serena going to reply...

Suddenly, one of the free women, the one who had taken Serena to the kitchen the day prior, barged into the hallway!

“Lulit! Get up and clean girl!” She yelled, the slave obeying immediately, standing up and dusting again, going back to her work with pace...

“Yes miss, sorry miss!” Lulit replied hurriedly and submissively, her demeanour changing at this woman’s presence... It was how she’d become over the years, confident when with others of her kind, passive when her superiors were around, it was the way she had been for a long time now...

The woman glared a little at Akinyi and Serena too, both the slaves standing up immediately, the woman walking past once she was satisfied, even though those slaves did not work at the palace, and she knew it... But it made her feel good to have power over those below her, it gave her a sense of control...

She walked past and exited the hallway, Serena going to speak to Lulit again, before the white woman stopped her...

“Serena, I think you and your friend oughta go on by, she’ll be mad if I don’t get this done soon...” Said Lulit, dusting fast, trying to get the job done quickly and thoroughly...

Both slaves nodded, they could see she was busy, they could tell her another time...

Serena and Akinyi walked past the slave as she worked, waving a goodbye to her as they continued through the hall, wondering just what they might find in this place...

*********************************************

“Make fire! Come on! Light!” Azmera yelled in tired frustration, hitting two rocks together, a hastily put together pile of sticks in front of her, she needed fire!

The sun was beginning to set, Yesemayi Isati returning back to the 5th realm, and taking his fire with him... The white girl needed fire of her own, fire to scare away the beasts, fire to keep herself warm through the chilly tropical night... But Azmera had no idea how to make fire...

As a slave, she had always slept inside, the walls of the quarters keeping her warm enough to sleep... She knew how cold the nights could be though, how cold the night had been for her the day before, she needed fire more than anything, the fire her superiors had had, the fire she had only caught glimpses of...

She remembered, stones, sometimes stones were used, do you hit them together!? Is this what you do!? Why wasn’t it working!?!?

The slave stood up, chucking the stones into the dirt with a huff, this was hopeless! If she couldn’t make fire, or find another way to keep herself warm, the night would claim her...

The pale girl decided, then and there, she’d have to find somewhere to stay for the night... She didn’t know where, but she knew if she remained out here another hour or two, she may never see the sun again...

Azmera walked for quite a while, the sun getting lower, and lower, and lower, barely lighting the sky anymore...

Then, to her relief, the forest opened, the slave girl finding herself now in the fields again, although these were not crop fields... In the distance, she could hear bouffalant, she was on a ranch, a cattle farm...

And not too far from her, large and strong, was the feed barn, the place the bouffalant’s food was kept...

The runaway slave approached it, finding to her relief that the doors were completely unlocked... She quietly slid herself inside, the warmth of the air within still that of the hot day, nice and warm, Azmera letting herself relax slightly, finally finding somewhere she could rest...

The girl let her eyes adjust to the light, noticing the large stacks of hay piled up inside... It was not the same hay from Serena’s world, more the leftover remnants of the stuff used to make the bread here, the inedible bits of plant that are kept only to feed the livestock...

But it was in a big pile, it was soft, it was warm... Azmera staggered over to it, exhausted, tired and worn out... The slave practically collapsed onto the pile, burying herself in it a little, the feed feeling better than any animal skins ever could, so comfy...

Her energy drained by her ordeal, it did not take long for Azmera to begin to lose consciousness... Her wakefulness became less and less as she drifted off, ready to pay a visit to the land of dreams...

*********************************************

Both royal slaves had found little to do in the palace... Most of the other slaves did not want to talk to them, and after a while, Serena decided it would be best to return to Iris’s room... As expected, the Queen wasn’t there, likely still talking to Yeshiemebet...

She entered first, Akinyi following behind her... The white slave sat down on the bed, and the black girl, as always, sat on the floor instead...

“Don’t you want to sit here? Iris will never know you did, trust me...” Serena said to her friend, attempting to get rid of her apprehension... Akinyi was way too obedient, she needed to rebel just a little bit...

“Serena, if I get caught sitting on her majesty’s bed, I may be sold off... I cannot risk it... But I appreciate that you mean well, it is kind of you to offer...” Replied the darker of the two, staying put on the floor, used to it...

The white girl nodded, she understood that Akinyi could not and would not try to disobey... But she had questions for the black girl...

“Akinyi... We need to talk about... You...” Serena said hesitantly, Akinyi’s eyes widening...

“I-I am fine sister, there is no need to talk of me, let us speak of something else, wouldn’t that be better?” The slave replied with panicked tension in her voice, Serena’s inquisitiveness deeply worrying to her...

“Akinyi, I’m being serious. You’re clearly not dealing well with being here, I’m not blind... I want to help you, I want to talk it out, slave to slave...” Responded Serena, Akinyi going silent for a moment... She wanted to speak about how she was feeling... She was desperate to... But she had feared what it might cause...

The black girl looked back up at Serena with a melancholy gaze in her eyes...

“If I speak of this... Y-you must promise to tell nobody... N-not Lulit, not Sisay, not Desta, and most importantly of all, not Iris... They can never know, for if she finds out, it will be the end of me...” Akinyi said sadly and seriously, Serena giving her yet another nod, she was ready to listen...

Taking a deep, deep breath, Akinyi prepared herself...

“I... I have not been in this village for many, many years... This was once my home... My tribe, the Keyo, we lived here, this was my life...” The girl spoke with hesitance in her voice... She had not told a soul outside of her immediate family, well, what remained of that family...

“You don’t have to say what happened if you don’t want to... I know what happened, you told me enough the day we met...” Said Serena, herself starting to feel anxious about what Akinyi was saying... She had only just begun, yet, she sounded as if she’d just recounted the entire ordeal, her voice so sad to listen to...

“I want to say... I haven’t spoken of what happened in such a long time... And I want you to hear this...” The black slave replied, clearing her throat...

“My people were distant allies of the Zhireti... We did not fight, we helped each other, we _protected_ each other... But then, Chief Tariku took power... He was not like his mother, he did not believe in peace... From what I have heard, he thought the only way the Zhireti would survive, the only way they would truly remain as their own, was to expand... He broke off ties with my tribe soon after, and he began expanding... Over the years, he overtook many of the tribes inbetween our villages, he wiped them out like ants... We lived quite far from them, but as their territory grew, they grew nearer, and n-nearer...” Akinyi was forced to stop for a moment as her memories slowly began to flood back into full view, sitting there in silence for a moment before she felt comfortable to continue...

“We fought hard Serena... My family fought hard... This was our home, there were many of us here, we knew we would all suffer if they managed to defeat us... You have to understand that we fought as hard as we could, we...”

Akinyi went quiet, tears building in her ebony eyes, memories flooding back like a tsunami...

“How old were you... When this happened...” Asked Serena, getting off the bed to sit beside Akinyi, rubbing her back, doing whatever the girl needed to feel comfortable...

“S-six...”

Serena felt her heart sink as she heard those words, hugging Akinyi close as the black girl began to cry...

“I-I was six summers old... I didn’t even understand what was happening... When the adults spoke of the Zhireti, of how they were getting closer, I did not understand... Mother had told me that, years before I was born, they were nice people... B-but a bad man had made them into bad people... She told me not to worry though... The Keyo were very safe, I was safe, I’d be ok... I know now that she did not wish to worry me... She must have been terrified...” Akinyi said with an almost lifeless tone, her mind swirling with memories of her old life...

“I-I hate being a slave!” The dark girl suddenly blurted, momentarily startling Serena!

“I-I hate it... I felt so scared... Wh-when they took us... When they put those things around my ankles... A-and my neck... When they forced us into a line... I could barely hug my mother... And I wanted my f-father so badly... I kept asking her where he was and she wouldn’t say, a-and I just didn’t understand!” Akinyi said, her tears beginning to run... She barely cried usually, it was stupid that she was, she felt stupid! 

“I didn’t understand anything Serena... I didn’t understand why they were doing this to us... They forced us to walk back to Bewenizu Āt’egebi... The road that we rode on yesterday was the same that I had to walk... We all had to walk... My legs felt so tired, but I could not stop... If people stopped, the men got angry... I did not understand why they got angry, why anything was happening... I just wanted to go h-home...” 

Akinyi was crying now, beginning to sob as she remembered all that had happened, how it had felt... She remembered the pain, the confusion, the stress, the sadness... It was all returning at once, and she didn’t know how to deal with it...

“That hut... It was yours, wasn’t it?” Serena asked sympathetically, holding Akinyi close as she nodded sadly, struggling to get any words out as rivers of sorrow flowed down from her eyes...

“Akinyi... I’m so sorry...” The white girl said, her arms wrapping fully around the inconsolable slave...

“I wanted to go back so badly, f-for years I did, and now I’ve come back and I hate it! I hate it! I want it to be how it was! I want my home back!” Akinyi shouted as the situation began to overwhelm her, the poor girl breaking down into loud sobs as Serena tried her best to comfort her...

Losing the fight to keep from crying, Akinti began to wail, more than upset, more than depressed... Her own soul was crying just as much as she herself was...

Serena held the black girl as she stopped holding back, rubbing her back as she sobbed, the girl beyond inconsolable, weeping, a woman who had lost nearly everything in her life... She’d lost her home, she’d lost her father, she’d lost her freedom...

It was sheer luck that Iris, nor any other nobles, heard her desperate wailing... Akinyi would have been beaten for causing such a racket, it was the way noisy slaves were dealt with... 

The slave cried and cried until her throat became drier than the dirt, her eyes damper than a river, her body losing all energy as she emptied it in sorrow....

Tired and depressed, she sat there, the last of her tears escaping as her mind raced with memories.... Crying had helped, but it could only do so much... Full recovery from the trauma of her past was impossible... If she were free, she could at least say that her life as a slave were behind her, that now, she was a free woman, and the healing could begin...

But that was not the way things were... Akinyi was a slave, she’d been a slave since she were a child... And her current owner, present in the same exact building as her, was the daughter of the man who was ultimately responsible for her position... Had Chief Tariku not been so cruel, had he kept the distant but still strong allegiance with the Keyo, then she would be free... Father would be here, she might be married, she might have a family, she might have a future that did not consist of serving under her owner... 

As a wife, she would of course serve her husband, that was the way things were here... But he would not own her, he could not sell her, he could not kill her without repercussions... Iris could easily do all that and more... And she did not even love Akinyi... The black girl was simply a trusted servant at best...

“You should clean yourself up Akinyi... Iris might be here soon, you can’t let her see you like this... Come on, I’ll help you up...” Serena said, lifting Akinyi by her arms, the darker slave getting shakily to her feet, the white girl leading her from the room...

Serena had no words for Akinyi, no words of comfort, nor of advice... This was beyond what the white teen was capable of discussing... She herself was only just coming to terms with the details... Akinyi had been forced to for her entire enslavement...

The light slave led her friend to the slave quarters, the black slaves there glaring at Serena as she helped Akinyi inside, thinking she must have something to do with why the girl seemed so miserable...

Despite this, they did not show any antagonism beyond this... They took Akinyi from the pale slave, helping her towards the washing area, Serena leaving once she felt the eyes on the others on her... She was not wanted, she was not like them... She was an _other_...

Going back to the bedroom, she lay there, thinking about what had happened, before the door slowly creaked open...

“Apologies for taking so long my love, me and my cousin had rather a lot to talk about... Are you alright?” Iris asked, kissing Serena on the cheek as she got into bed with her...

“I’m ok... Sorry... Just thinking...” Serena said somewhat absentmindedly, the details of Akinyi’s revelations still fresh in her head...

“What about, my dear?” The Queen continued, rubbing a hand against her pale cheek...

“Stuff...”

Iris chuckled slightly, a gentle kiss coming to rest on Serena’s neck, the ebony woman pulling the covers over them both...

“Oh my Serena, you can be such like a child sometimes... You are such a precious creature to me, it fills my heart with joy to know you are mine...” Responded the Queen, kissing Serena’s cheek again before yawning, the white slave barely reacting to her words or actions...

“I am most exhausted my dear, I must rest... Goodnight, my sweet...” Iris said as she lay down, shutting her eyes, quickly drifting off into sleep...

Serena did not follow her though... She could not sleep... She recalled repeatedly the few details Akinyi had given her earlier, how upset her friend had been... These details echoed throughout her head, getting played over and over like a scratched record, replaying in her brain until she finally succumbed to her tiredness, her mind clutching to Akinyi’s words until the very last moment...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, it took quiet a while to write.
> 
> Also my phone sorta glitched and nearly didn’t work, so I nearly lost most of the chapter, but that’s **FINE** everything is **FINE** 🙃
> 
> Also I hope I’m not writing too much for people. If there’s anything about the writing or story that anybody doesn’t like, I’d be glad to hear, I’m happy to change things if people would prefer that so.
> 
> As always, I hope you have a good day, and I look forward to hearing any feedback or comments you may have <3

**Author's Note:**

> I do wanna remind whoever is reading this that this is fantasy. Things such as slavery, racism, and the other dark themes explored here, should be kept to fiction, and are never justified outside of it.
> 
> If you know or suspect that somebody might be involved in slavery, or be in slavery themselves, please inform the police, or check out this page for information on services that might be able to help: https://www.app.college.police.uk/app-content/major-investigation-and-public-protection/modern-slavery/list-of-anti-slavery-charities-and-non-governmental-organisations/
> 
> This page is a UK based page, but online you can find many other pages for your local area. And if you are a victim of human trafficking/slavery yourself, there are also resources here to help you.


End file.
